FEDERAL HEALTH UPDATE
Mar 20, 2009

Produced by Kate Connelly Theroux in collaboration with the Institute of Federal Health Care (IFHC)

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Executive and Congressional News
  • On April 18, 2009, the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee held its annual military medical hearing, in which the service surgeons general and the service nurse corps chiefs testified on the state of the military medical system. 
  • The Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee held a hearing to examine the suicide prevention programs in each of the armed services. The Army, Navy and Air Force vice chiefs of staff, as well as the assistant commandant for the Marines, testified about the challenges the services face to identify and treat vulnerable service members and the steps taken to eliminate the stigma associated with seeking mental health help.
  • The House Armed Services Military Personnel and Readiness Subcommittees held a joint hearing on March 18, 2009, to receive testimony on medical infrastructure to examine whether Health Affairs/TRICARE Management Activity priorities are aligned with service requirements.  Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (Dr.) Ward S. Casscells testified.

Military Health Care News

  • On March 17, 2009, the Department of Defense published a final rule in the Federal Register that implements section 703 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (NDAA-08).  This legislation states: with respect to any prescription filled on or after the date of enactment of the NDAA (Jan. 28, 2008), the TRICARE Retail Pharmacy Program shall be treated as an element of the DoD for purposes of procurement of drugs by federal agencies under section 8126 of title 38, United States Code (U.S.C.).  This will ensure that pharmaceuticals paid for by the DoD that are provided by network retail pharmacies under the program to eligible, covered beneficiaries are subject to the pricing standards in such section 8126.  This final rule is effective May 26, 2009. http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-5702.htm
  • On March 16, 2009, the Department of Defense published a notice in the Federal Register that advises interested parties of the continuation and expansion of a Military Health System (MHS) demonstration project entitled “Disease Management Demonstration Project for TRICARE Standard Beneficiaries.”  The original demonstration notice was published on June 13, 2007 (72 FR 32628-32629), and described a demonstration project to provide disease management (DM) services to TRICARE Standard beneficiaries, in addition to the TRICARE Prime beneficiaries who were already entitled to such services.

    This demonstration project has enabled the MHS to provide uniform policies and practices on disease and chronic care management throughout the TRICARE network.  Additionally, the demonstration has helped determine the effectiveness of DM programs in improving the health status of beneficiaries with targeted chronic diseases or conditions, and any associated cost savings. The TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) chose a phased approach to determine the efficacy and cost effectiveness of its disease management demonstration, beginning with beneficiaries identified with the disease states of asthma, congestive heart failure, and diabetes. TMA now intends to expand the disease management services to TRICARE Standard beneficiaries with the additional disease states of cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and anxiety and depression disorders, as well as continue the original disease states of asthma, congestive heart failure, and diabetes.

  • Humana Military Healthcare Services, TRICARE contractor for the South Region, is partnering with the University of Louisville to jointly sponsor a new continuing medical education course (CME) for physicians. Civilian providers throughout the country will have access to an online course on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

    MD Informatics, a small veteran-owned and physician led healthcare information company, developed the content for the two-hour course, “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury,” to address the unique needs of military personnel returning home from active duty. The training will enable civilian providers to recognize and care for active-duty and retired service members who show signs of TBI or PTSD. The University of Louisville will award CME credit as an accredited agency and joint CME sponsor.

  • On March 13, 2009, the 74th Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter, resigned his office as planned. Winter had agreed to remain in office until March 13, to ease the transition of the Department of Defense.

    Winter became the Secretary of the Navy on Jan. 3, 2006. During his tenure, Winter focused on three priorities: prosecuting the war against terrorist enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan; taking care of wounded sailors, Marines and their families; and building the future fleet. Additionally, he carried out far-reaching acquisition reforms, with an emphasis on rebuilding an acquisition corps of professionals within the department, demanding accountability and insisting on a systems engineering approach to acquisitions.

    BJ Penn will be the acting Secretary of the Navy until the Senate confirms a nominee chosen by President Barack Obama.

  • The Department of Defense (DoD) announced the following promotions:
    • Army Brig. Gen. James K. Gilman has been nominated for promotion to the rank of major general. Gilman is currently serving as commanding general, Brooke Army Medical Center/Great Plains Regional Medical Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
    • Army Brig. Gen. Philip Volpe has been nominated for promotion to the rank of major general. Volpe is currently serving as deputy commander, Joint Task Force - National Capital Region Medical, Bethesda, Md.
    • Army Col. William B. Gamble has been nominated for promotion to the rank of brigadier general. Gamble is currently serving as command surgeon, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
    • Army Col. Richard W. Thomas has been nominated for promotion to the rank of brigadier general. Thomas is currently serving as commander, United States Army Medical Department Activities, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Veterans Health Care News  

  • On March 13, 2009, Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Eric K. Shinseki released an open letter to veterans briefly describing his vision for the VA during his tenure and promising to transform the VA to better serve the needs of veterans.  To read the letter, please visit: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1658
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that more than 400 severely injured Veterans will take part in the 23rd National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic from March 29 through April 3, 2009, in Snowmass Village, Colo.

    The clinic, which is hosted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and co-sponsored by the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), instructs veterans with disabilities in adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing, and introduces them to a number of other adaptive recreational activities and sports.  This year's clinic will feature a record number of participants, including many who served in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.  

    The clinic is an annual rehabilitation program open to U.S. military veterans with traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic amputations, visual impairments, certain neurological problems and other disabilities, who receive care at a VA medical facility or military treatment center.  It is the largest adaptive event of its kind in the world.  

    An estimated 200 certified ski instructors for the disabled and several current and former members of the U.S. Disabled Ski Team serve as instructors to meet the unique needs of the participants.  At the six-day event, veterans also learn rock climbing, scuba diving, snowmobiling, curling and sled hockey.  They can also participate in additional events and workshops.  The U.S. Secret Service will offer a course on self-defense.  

    VA is a recognized leader in rehabilitative and recreational therapies, and operates more than 1,400 sites of care, including 153 medical centers.  DAV is a non-profit, congressionally chartered Veterans service organization with a membership of more than 1 million, wartime disabled Veterans.  http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1657

  • The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will build a stand-alone replacement hospital for its existing facility in Denver.  The new facility will be located on the grounds of the Army's former Fitzsimons hospital in Aurora.

    The new medical center will provide Denver-area veterans with a full range of medical, laboratory, research and counseling services, including services for those with spinal cord injuries (SCI) and other disabilities. 

    VA will also create new Health Care Centers, which provide ambulatory care and same-day surgical services, in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Billings, Mont.  The Colorado Springs facility will be managed in collaboration with the Department of Defense.  VA also plans to add eight new health care facilities in rural areas throughout the region.

    The new medical center in Denver will include a 30-bed, state-of-the-art SCI center providing services to veterans throughout VA's Rocky Mountain Network, which includes Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado, plus parts of five other states. 

    In Denver, 78 SCI Veterans who now receive inpatient hospital care at other VA facilities will be able to receive their care locally, and 984 other SCI patients will no longer have to travel elsewhere for outpatient services. 

    Once the new facilities are operational, 92 percent of all Colorado veterans will live within a 60-minute drive of a VA primary care provider, and 81 percent of those veterans will live within 120 minutes of either a VA Medical Center or a VA Health Care Center.

  • The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is gathering data to monitor potential health problems among troops who say they were made ill by exposure to smoke from open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, responding to a letter sent in early February by Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) and several other House lawmakers, said data on exposure to burning trash and waste is already a part of a large, ongoing population-based study comparing the health of 30,000 veterans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan with the health of 30,000 non-deployed veterans.

    According to Shinseki, the study evaluates self-reported exposures (including burning trash and feces), symptoms, chronic health conditions, functional status, pregnancy outcomes and health care utilization

    Shinseki also said VA will work with the Defense Department (DoD) to obtain “all relevant exposure data” on veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, “with the goal of establishing potential correlations with health problems among affected veterans.”

    The VA is reviewing data gathered from DoD’s Post-Deployment Health Assessment surveys, which ask about exposure to smoke from burn pits, subsequent symptoms, and a variety of other health-related questions.

    In his letter, he stated that it is “essential” for VA to educate its health care providers about toxic exposures and possible long-term health effects related to the burn pits.  But Shinseki stopped short of saying that VA will directly monitor levels of toxic substances in veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, only that his department would “evaluate the feasibility” of such monitoring efforts.

    A growing number of service members who say they were exposed to everything from burning petroleum products to plastics to batteries in burn pits used to dispose of waste at every base in Iraq and Afghanistan are reporting more serious adverse health effects that they believe are linked to those exposures.

    Tests on the burn pits in the war zones have shown that the fires released dioxins, benzene and volatile organic compounds, including substances known to cause cancer.

    Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is keeping a database of veterans who have contacted DAV to say they are sick, and that they think burn-pit exposure played a role in their ailments.

    According to Kerry Baker, DAV’s assistant national legislative director, of the 182 veterans are now in the DAV database, 48 have developed lymphoma, leukemia or some other form of cancer; and another 55 report pulmonary disorders, including asthma and asthma-like symptoms. Other reported conditions include multiple sclerosis, skin infections, sleep apnea, allergy-like symptoms and heart problems.  At least 16 veterans entered into the database have since died. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/03/17/burn.pits/

  • According to the New York Times and other media outlets, the White House announced that President Obama has abandoned his proposal that would have required veterans to use their private health insurance to pay for the treatment of combat-related injuries.

    The proposal, which could have saved the government more than $500 million a year, was met with severe criticism from veterans and Congress. 

Health Care News

  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first DNA test that identifies the two types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause the majority of cervical cancers among women in the United States.

    The test, called Cervista HPV 16/18, detects the DNA sequences for HPV type 16 and HPV type 18 in cervical cells. Differentiating these HPV types gives health care professionals more information on a patient’s risk of subsequently developing cervical cancer.

    A positive Cervista 16/18 test result indicates whether HPV type 16, 18 or both types are present in the cervical sample.

    The FDA also approved the Cervista HPV HR test, which is the second DNA test that detects essentially all of the high-risk HPV types in cervical cell samples. The Cervista HPV HR test uses a method similar to the Cervista HPV 16/18 test to detect the DNA sequences of these HPV types.

    In women age 30 and older or women with borderline cytology, the Cervista HPV 16/18 test can be used together with cytology and the Cervista HPV HR test to assess risk of cervical disease.

    HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 6 million Americans become infected with genital HPV each year and that more than half of all sexually active women and men become infected at some time in their lives.

    For most women, the body's own defense system clears the virus and infected women do not develop related health problems. However, some HPV types can cause cell abnormalities on the lining of the cervix that later can become malignant. While there are many different types of HPV, types 16 and 18 cause about 70 percent of all cervical cancers.

  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has completed a "proof-of-concept" study of a test that quickly and accurately detects the presence of even the smallest amount of the deadly anthrax toxin.

    A proof-of-concept study is an initial investigation that aims to determine if a new scientific idea or concept holds promise for further development. A report on the results of this study appears in the March issue of Clinical and Vaccine Immunology.

    Anthrax is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, bacteria that form spores, or dormant cells, which can come to life under the right temperature, nutrients and other conditions to allow growth.  Anthrax occurs in humans after exposure to an infected animal or infected animal tissue or when anthrax spores are used as a bioterrorist weapon.

    The proof-of-concept study, developed by FDA researchers, relies on a nanotechnology-based test platform built from tiny molecular-sized particles. This was able to detect the presence of a protein made by the anthrax bacteria known as protective antigen (PA). PA combines with another protein called lethal factor to form anthrax lethal factor toxin, the protein that enters cells and causes toxic effects.

    The researchers showed that the new test is capable of detecting PA in quantities that are 100 times lower than current tests, such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

    The FDA test is a modified version of ELISA, which is already commonly used to detect anthrax and other infections.

    The researchers developed the test for PA in response to the increased interest in the scientific community for new anthrax assays following the 2001 U.S. anthrax attack that killed five people.

  • Treatment admissions for prescription painkiller misuse has risen dramatically over the past decade — from constituting 1 percent of all admissions in 1997 to now representing 5 percent, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

    The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) 2007 Highlights report also indicates that although alcohol-related admissions still account for the largest share (40 percent) of the 1.8 million treatment admissions occurring throughout the country during 2007, this reflects a reduction from 50 percent in 1997.

    The TEDS 2007 Highlights report is the latest in a series of yearly reports, developed by SAMHSA, providing demographic and other information on substance abuse treatment admissions from state licensed treatment facilities (most of them publicly-funded) across the country.  Although it does not include information on all treatment admissions, it is the largest, most comprehensive study of its kind and provides a vast array of specialized data on the characteristics of substance abuse treatment in the United States.

    Among the findings:

    • The percentage of treatment admissions for primary heroin abuse is at about the same level it was a decade ago (14 percent).
    • The percentage of treatment admissions primarily due to methamphetamine/amphetamine abuse is relatively small.  Admissions accounted for 4 percent in 1997, rose to 9 percent in 2005, then decreased to 8 percent in 2006 and remained at 8 percent in 2007.
    • Even though the proportion of admissions for primary marijuana abuse increased from 12 percent in 1997 to 16 percent in 2003, admissions have remained steady at 16 percent each year after.
  • According to the new recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, patients and clinicians should consider risk factors—including age, gender, diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking and risk of gastrointestinal bleeding—before deciding whether to use aspirin to prevent heart attacks or strokes.

    These recommendations, published in the March 17 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, do not apply to people who have already had a heart attack or stroke. 

    In a review of new evidence from the National Institutes of Health's Women's Health Study that found the risks and benefits of aspirin may have different benefits and harms in men and women, the Task Force found good evidence that aspirin decreases first heart attacks in men and first strokes in women.

    The more risk factors people have, the more likely they are to benefit from aspirin. The Task Force recommends that men between the ages of 45 and 79 should use aspirin to reduce their risk for heart attacks when the benefits outweigh the harms for potential gastrointestinal bleeding.

    The Task Force recommends that women between the ages of 55 and 79 should use aspirin to reduce their risk for ischemic stroke when the benefits outweigh the harms for potential gastrointestinal bleeding. It also recommends against using aspirin to prevent either strokes or heart disease in men under 45 or women under age 55 because heart attacks are less likely to occur in men younger than 45 and ischemic strokes are less likely to occur in women younger than 55 and because limited evidence exists in these age groups.

    People age 80 and older could benefit more than younger people from aspirin because of their higher risk of cardiovascular disease, but the harms are also greater because the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding increases with age. The Task Force could not find clear evidence that the benefits of using aspirin outweigh the risks in people 80 years or older.

    Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It is the underlying or contributing cause in approximately 58 percent of all deaths. In 2003, one in every three adults had some type of cardiovascular disease. In adults over the age of 40, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease is two in three for men and more than half for women.

    The Task Force could not find evidence about what the optimum dose of aspirin is to prevent heart attacks or strokes. Evidence shows benefits at a range of doses and the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding may increase with the dose.

    In 2002, the Task Force strongly recommended that clinicians discuss aspirin use with adults at increased risk for coronary heart disease and that discussions with patients should address both the potential benefits and potential harms of aspirin therapy. The new recommendation provides more specific guidance about benefits and harms to specific age groups and gender-specific benefits and provides clinicians with information on how to estimate an individual's risks for heart disease or stroke.  http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2009/aspcvdpr.htm

  • Scientists have made a significant step toward developing a test to help diagnose the early stages of Alzheimer's disease sooner and more accurately by measuring two biomarkers — tau and beta-amyloid proteins — in cerebrospinal fluid.

    In a new report, researchers from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuro-imaging Initiative (ADNI) not only confirmed that certain changes in biomarker levels in cerebrospinal fluid may signal the onset of mild Alzheimer's, but also established a method and standard of testing for these biomarkers. ADNI is a research partnership, supported primarily by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) with private sector support through the Foundation for NIH, seeking to find neuro-imaging and biomarker tests that can detect Alzheimer's disease progression and measure the effectiveness of potential therapies.

    These are the first cerebrospinal fluid biomarker findings to be reported by ADNI, a $60-million, five-year research program launched in 2004 to observe and track changes in some 800 older people in the United States and Canada with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) — a condition that often precedes Alzheimer's — or the early stages of Alzheimer's.

    This comprehensive analysis allowed the scientists to systematically confirm earlier studies on cerebrospinal fluid findings and to develop biomarker profiles that may signal the onset of the disease. To read more of the findings, please visit http://www.nih..gov/news/health/mar2009/nia-17.htm

  • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the members of the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research.  Authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the new council will help coordinate research and guide investments in comparative effectiveness research funded by the Recovery Act.

    Comparative effectiveness research provides information on the relative strengths and weakness of various medical interventions. Such research will give clinicians and patients valid information to make decisions that will improve the performance of the U.S. health care system

    The 15-member council, named in accordance with a congressionally mandated timeline, will assist the agencies of the federal government, including HHS and the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense, as well as others, to coordinate comparative effectiveness and related health services research. The Recovery Act authorized $300 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, $400 million for the National Institutes of Health, and $400 million for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to support comparative effectiveness research.

    The council will not recommend clinical guidelines for payment, coverage or treatment. The council will consider the needs of populations served by federal programs and opportunities to build and expand on current investments and priorities. It will also provide input on priorities for the $400 million fund in the Recovery Act that the Secretary will allocate to advance this type of research.

    Council members represent a diverse set of individuals and agencies; most of its members are clinicians. Representatives on the council will address the impact on subpopulations. To ensure that all voices are heard, the council will hold a public listening session on April 14, 2009. Its deliberations and recommendations will be public and transparent, consistent with all Recovery Act investments, as well as the President’s commitment to open government.

Reserve/Guard
  • As of March 17, 2009, the total number of Guard and Reserve currently on active duty has increased by 2,099 to 125,942.  The totals for each service are Army National Guard and Army Reserve 96,645; Navy Reserve, 6,547; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 14,822; Marine Corps Reserve, 7,263; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 665.  www.defenselink.mil

Reports/Policies

  • The GAO published “Medicare: Improvements Needed to Address Improper Payments in Home Health,” (GAO-09-185) on Feb. 27 and released the report on March 13, 2009.  In this report, GAO analyzed Medicare claims data; reviewed Medicare laws and regulations and CMS documents; and interviewed stakeholders and contractors that administer and protect the home health benefit. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09185.pdf
  • The GAO published “Department of Veterans Affairs Contracting with Veteran Owned-Small Businesses,” (GAO-09-391R) on March 19, 2009. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09391r.pdf
  • The GAO published “Health-Care-Associated Infections In Hospitals: Continuing Leadership Needed from HHS to Prioritize Prevention Practices and Improve Data on These Infections,” (GAO-09-516T) on March 18, 2009. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09516t.pdf
  • The GAO published “Medicare and Medicaid Participating Facilities: CMS Needs to Reexamine Its Approach for Funding State Oversight of Health Care Facilities,” (GAO-09-64) on Feb. 13, and released it on March 19, 2009.  In this report, the GAO analyzed federal funding trends from fiscal years 2000 through 2007 and CMS's methodology for determining states' allocations and spending; CMS data on the number of participating facilities and completed state surveys; and CMS oversight of state spending. GAO interviewed state officials and collected data from 28 states. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0964.pdf

Legislation

  • H.RES.249 (introduced March 17, 2009):  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Department of Veterans Affairs should take full responsibility for financing the health care benefits earned by veterans with service-connected disabilities was referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affair. 
    Sponsor: Representative Cynthia M. Lummis [WY]
  • H.R.1457 (introduced March 12, 2009):   To amend the Public Health Service Act to deem certain geriatric health training to be obligated service for purposes of the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program and for other purposes was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 
    Sponsor: Representative Rosa DeLauro [CT-3]
  • H.R.1460 (introduced March 12, 2009): To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a graduate degree loan repayment program for nurses who become nursing school faculty members was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 
    Sponsor: Representative Tom Latham [IA-4]
  • H.R.1468 (introduced March 12, 2009): To provide health care liability reform, and for other purposes was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. 
    Sponsor: Representative Michael C. Burgess [TX-26]
  • H.R.1470 (introduced March 12, 2009): To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that the deduction for the health insurance costs of self-employed individuals be allowed in determining self-employment tax was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. 
    Sponsor: Representative Ron Kind [WI-3].
  • H.R.1483 (introduced March 12, 2009): To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement a National Neurotechnology Initiative and for other purposes was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 
    Sponsor: Representative Patrick J. Kennedy [RI-1]
  • H.R.1493 (introduced March 12, 2009): To ensure and foster continued patient safety and quality of care by exempting health care professionals from the Federal antitrust laws in their negotiations with health plans and health insurance issuers was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. 
    Sponsor: Representative Ron Paul [TX-14]
  • H.R.1495 (introduced March 12, 2009): To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make health care coverage more accessible and affordable was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. 
    Sponsor: Representative Ron Paul [TX-14]
  • H.R.1496 (introduced March 12, 2009): amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a credit against income tax for medical expenses for dependents was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. 
    Sponsor: Representative Ron Paul [TX-14]
  • H.R.1505 (introduced March 12, 2009): To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide services for birth parents who have placed a child for adoption and for other purposes was referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. 
    Sponsor: Representative Jean Schmidt [OH-2]
  • H.R.1544 (introduced March 17, 2009): To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for unlimited eligibility for health care for mental illnesses for veterans of combat service during certain periods of hostilities and war was referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. 
    Sponsor: Representative Steve Driehaus [OH-1]
  • H.R.1548 (introduced March 17, 2009): To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a pathway for the licensure of biosimilar biological products, and for other purposes was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. 
    Sponsor: Representative Anna G. Eshoo [CA-14]
  • H.R.1558 (introduced March 17, 2009): To amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit preexisting condition exclusions in group health plans and health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. 
    Sponsor: Representative Joe Courtney [CT-2]
  • H.R.1563 (introduced March 17, 2009): To authorize the conveyance of a portion of the campus of the Illiana Health Care System of the Department of Veterans Affairs to Danville Area Community College of Vermilion County, Illinois was referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. 
    Sponsor: Representative Timothy V. Johnson [IL-15].
  • H.R.1570 (introduced March 17, 2009): To amend the Public Health Service Act to coordinate Federal congenital heart disease research efforts and to improve public education and awareness of congenital heart disease and for other purposes was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 
    Sponsor: Representative Zachary T. Space [OH-18]
  • S.579 (introduced March 12, 2009): A bill to establish a comprehensive Federal tobacco product regulatory program, to create a Tobacco Regulatory Agency, to prevent use of tobacco products by youth, and to provide protections for adult tobacco product users through the regulation of the tobacco products manufacturing industry was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 
    Sponsor: Senator Richard Burr [NC]
  • S.586 (introduced March 12, 2009): A bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement a National Neurotechnology Initiative, and for other purposes was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 
    Sponsor: Senator Patty Murray [WA]
  • S.593 (introduced March 12, 2009): A bill to ban the use of bisphenol A in food containers, and for other purposes was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 
    Sponsor: Senator Dianne Feinstein [CA].
  • S.597 (introduced March 16, 2009): A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. 
    Sponsor: Senator Patty Murray [WA]
  • S.606 (introduced March 17, 2009): A bill to amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish a Veterans Corps program was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 
    Sponsor: Senator Mark R. Warner [VA].
  • S.611 (introduced March 17, 2009): A bill to provide for the reduction of adolescent pregnancy, HIV rates, and other sexually transmitted diseases and for other purposes was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 
    Sponsor: Senator Frank R. Lautenberg [NJ]
  • S.613 (introduced March 17, 2009): A bill to prohibit the use of Federal funds to approve certain biologics license applications by the Food and Drug Administration was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 
    Sponsor: Senator Sam Brownback [KS]
  • S.616 (introduced March 17, 2009):  A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize medical simulation enhancement programs, and for other purposes was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 
    Sponsor: Senator Tom Harkin [IA] 
  • S.619 (introduced March 17, 2009): A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to preserve the effectiveness of medically important antibiotics used in the treatment of human and animal diseases was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 
    Sponsor: Senator Edward M. Kennedy [MA]
  • S.621 (introduced March 17, 2009): A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to coordinate Federal congenital heart disease research efforts and to improve public education and awareness of congenital heart disease and for other purposes was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 
    Sponsor: Senator Richard Durbin [IL].
  • S.623 (introduced March 17, 2009): A bill to amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, title XXVII of the Public Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit preexisting condition exclusions in group health plans and in health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 
    Sponsor: Senator John D. Rockefeller, IV [WV]

Hill Hearings

  • The House Military Personnel and Readiness Subcommittees will hold a hearing on March 18, 2009, to receive testimony on medical infrastructure to examine whether Health Affairs/TRICARE Management Activity priorities are aligned with service requirements. 
  • The House Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on March 19, 2009, to examine how to close the health gap of veterans in rural areas.
  • The House Veterans Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs will hold hearing on March 24, 2009, to examine the nexus between engaged in combat with the enemy and PTSD in an era of changing warfare tactics.
  • The House Armed Services Military Personnel and Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittees will hold a joint hearing on March 24, 2009, to receive testimony on Department of Defense’s health information technology: AHLTA.
  • The House Veterans Affairs Committee will hold hearings on March 19 and 25, 2009, to markup of pending legislation.
  • The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on March 25, 2009, to examine state-of-the-art information technology (IT) solutions for Veterans' Affairs benefits delivery.
  • The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel will hold a hearing on March 25, 2009, to examine reserve component programs of the Department of Defense.
  • The Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care will hold a hearing on March 25, 2009, to examine the role of long-term care in health reform. 
  • The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on April 1, 2009, to examine the nomination of W. Scott Gould to be deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
Meetings / Conferences

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