Provided is the purpose of the bill, its status and the NRLN’s position on the bill. Click on the bill’s title to access the entire text of the bill. (If you have difficulty in opening the “pdf” version of a bill, please go to the following link and download the latest version of the FREE Adobe Reader: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html .)
These are the Health Care Bills that are part of the NRLN 2007 Legislative Agenda
U.S. Senate
The following bills have been introduced in the 2007 session of the 110th Congress
S. 137 – Preserving Medicare For All Act of 2007
Purpose: To amend
title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide additional
beneficiary protections.
NRLN
Position: Supports
the general principles of the bill.
Status:
Introduced on January 4, 2007 and referred to the Committee on Finance
S. 242 – Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of
2007
Purpose: To amend
the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act with respect to the
importation of prescription drugs, and for other purposes.
NRLN
Position: Supports
passage.
NRLN
Position: Supports
the general principles of the bill.
Status:
Introduced on January 4, 2007 and referred to the Committee on Finance
S. 242 – Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of
2007
Purpose: To amend
the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act with respect to the
importation of prescription drugs, and for other purposes.
NRLN
Position: Supports
passage.
Status:
Introduced on January 4, 2007 and referred to the Committee on Finance
S. 242 – Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of
2007
Purpose: To amend
the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act with respect to the
importation of prescription drugs, and for other purposes.
NRLN
Position: Supports
passage.
S. 242 – Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of
2007
Purpose: To amend
the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act with respect to the
importation of prescription drugs, and for other purposes.
NRLN
Position: Supports
passage.
NRLN Position: Supports passage.
Status: Introduced on January 4, 2007 and referred to Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
S. 250 – Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007
Purpose: To reduce the costs of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries and to guarantee access to comprehensive prescription drug coverage under part D of the Medicare program, and for other purposes.
NRLN Position: Supports passage.
Status:Introduced January 10, 2007 and referred to the Committee on Finance.
The following bills were introduced in the 2006 session of the 109th Congress and may be reintroduced in the 2007 session of the 110th Congress:
S. 345 - Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act
Purpose: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to deliver a meaningful benefit and lower prescription drug prices under the Medicare program.
NRLN Position: Supports the general principles of the bill.
Status: The bill was introduced on February 10, 2006 in the 109th Congress and assigned to the Committee on Finance. It has not been reintroduced in the 2007 session of the 110th Congress.
S. 1418 – Wired For Health Care Quality Act
Purpose:
To enhance the adoption
of a nationwide interoperable health information technology
system and to improve the quality and reduce the costs of health
care in the United States.
NRLN Position: Supports passage.
Status: Introduced in the 2006 session of the 109th Congress. It has not been reintroduced in the 2007 session of the 110th Congress.
S. 2229 – Medicare For All Act
Purpose: To provide quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
NRLN
Position:If
introduced in the 2007 session of the 110th Congress
it must be improved to include:
(1)
better coverage for those now on Medicare, including
catastrophic coverage, (2) catastrophic coverage in new
plans, (3) sufficient doctor/service payments and (4)
a Maintenance of Cost Payment provision that ensures
retention of existing coverage for million of retirees covered
by superior corporate plans.
Status: The bill was introduced on January 31, 2006 in the 109th Congress and assigned to the Committee on Finance. It has not been reintroduced in the 2007 session of the 110th Congress.
S. 2300 – Lower Priced Drug Act
Purpose: To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to market exclusivity for certain drugs, and for other purposes.
NRLN Position: Supports passage.
Status: The bill was introduced on February 16, 2006 in the 109th Congress and assigned to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. It has not been reintroduced in the 2007 session of the 110th Congress.
U. S. House of Representatives
The following bills have been introduced in the 2007 session of the 110th Congress:
H.R. 3162 - Children's Health And Medicare Protection Act
Purpose: To amend titles XVIII, XIX, and XXI
of the Social Security Act to extend and improve the children’s health
insurance program, to improve beneficiary protections under the Medicare,
Medicaid, and the CHIP program, and for other purposes.
NRLN Position: Supports passage of the bill
because would not only provide healthcare for uninsured
children but would also improve aspects of Medicare for older Americans
Status: Introduced on July 24, 2007 by U.S.
Representatives Dingle, Rangle, Stark and Pallone and referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce and to the Committee on Ways and Means.
H.R. 4 – Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007
Purpose: To amend
part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the
Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower
covered part D drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries.
Status: Introduced on July 24, 2007 by U.S. Representatives Dingle, Rangle, Stark and Pallone and referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and to the Committee on Ways and Means.
H.R. 4 – Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007
Purpose: To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower covered part D drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries.
NRLN Position: Supports passage.
Status: H.R. 4 was passed by the House on January 12, 2007.
H.R. 380 – Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2007
Purpose: To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the importation of prescription drugs and other purposes.
NRLN Position: Supports passage.
Status:Introduced
on January 10, 2007 and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce.
Status:Introduced on January 10, 2007 and referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The following bills were introduced in the 2006 session of the 109th Congress and may be reintroduced in the 2007 session of the 110th Congress:
H. R. 4157 – Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2006
Purpose: To promote a better health information system, improved national health care system planning, and quality.
NRLN Position: Supports the reintroduction and passage of the bill.
Status Introduced in the 2006 session of the 109th Congress. It has not been reintroduced in the 2007 session of the 110th Congress.
H.R. 4683 – Medicare For All Act
Purpose: To provide quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
NRLN Position: If introduced in the 2007 session of the 110th Congress it must be improved to include: (1) better coverage for those now on Medicare, including catastrophic coverage, (2) catastrophic coverage in new plans, (3) sufficient doctor/service payments and (4) a Maintenance of Cost Payment provision that ensures retention of existing coverage for million of retirees covered by superior corporate plans.
Status: The bill was introduced on February 1, 2006 in the 109th Congress and assigned to the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Energy, Commerce and Government Reform. It has not been reintroduced in the 2007 session of the 110th Congress.
H.R. 4685 – Medicare Prescription Drug Emergency Guarantee Act of 2006
Purpose: To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to assure uninterrupted access to necessary medicines under the Medicare prescription drug program.
NRLN Position: Supports passage.
Status: The bill was introduced on February 1, 2006 in the 109th Congress and assigned to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means. It has not been reintroduced in the 2007 session of the 110th Congress.
H.R. 6022 – Lower Priced Drug Act
Purpose:To amend the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to market exclusivity
for certain drugs, and for other purposes.
NRLN
Position: Supports passage.
NRLN Position: Supports passage.