I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5986 
To improve men’s health initiatives, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 16, 2021 
Mr. PAYNE (for himself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. 
NORTON, Mr. SIRES, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. BOWMAN, Mr. 
MFUME, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, 
and Ms. JACKSON LEE) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To improve men’s health initiatives, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Men’s Health Aware-
ness and Improvement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Risks to the health and well-being of the 
Nation’s men (and our families) are on the rise due 
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to a lack of education on, awareness of, and pursuit 
of preventive screening and care. For instance— 
(A) men are leading in 9 out of the top 10 
causes of death; 
(B) the life expectancy gap persists with 
the average age of death for men being 76.2 
years versus 81.2 years for women; and 
(C) in the United States, men die at an 
overall rate 1.4 times higher than women. 
(2) While this health crisis is of particular con-
cern to men, it is also a concern for women regard-
ing their fathers, husbands, sons, and brothers. 
(3) Men’s health is a concern to the Federal 
Government and State governments, which absorb 
the enormous costs of premature death and dis-
ability, including the costs of caring for dependents 
who are left behind. 
(4) According to the Social Security Adminis-
tration, 16.3 percent of widows age 65 and over are 
impoverished, compared to 4.9 percent of married 
women age 65 and over. 
(5) Educating men, their families, and health 
care providers about the importance of early detec-
tion of health issues that can impact men, such as 
cardiovascular disease, mental health, HIV/AIDS, 
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osteoporosis, cancer (lung, prostate, skin, colorectal, 
testicular, and more), and other pertinent health 
issues, can result in reducing rates of mortality of 
diseases impacting males, as well as improve the 
health of the Nation’s males and its overall economic 
well-being. 
(6) Of concern is the physical, mental, and 
emotional well-being of our military men (and 
women) returning from war zones and our veterans. 
(7) Recent scientific studies have shown that 
regular medical exams, preventive screenings, reg-
ular exercise, and healthy eating habits can save 
lives. 
(8) According to the American Foundation for 
Suicide Prevention, men are nearly four times as 
likely to commit suicide. 
(9) Appropriate use of tests such as prostate 
cancer screening exams, blood pressure tests, blood 
glucose testing, lipid panel testing, and colorectal 
screenings, in conjunction with clinical exams or 
self-testing, can result in the early detection of many 
problems and increased survival rates. 
(10) Men’s health is a concern for employers 
who pay the costs of medical care and lose produc-
tive employees. 
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(11) According to the National Cancer Insti-
tute, cancer mortality is higher among men than 
women (185.5 per 100,000 men and 133.5 per 
100,000 women). 
(12) In 2018, national expenditures for cancer 
care in the United States were $150.8 billion. 
(13) Prostate cancer is the most frequently di-
agnosed cancer in the United States among men. 
One in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer 
in their lifetime. This year alone, over 248,530 men 
will be newly diagnosed with prostate cancer and 
34,130 men with prostate cancer will die. Costs as-
sociated with prostate cancer detection and treat-
ments were $15.3 billion in 2018 in the United 
States and such costs are estimated to increase. 
Prostate cancer rates increase sharply with age, and 
more than 90 percent of such cases are diagnosed in 
men age 55 and older. The incidence of prostate 
cancer is 50 percent higher in African-American 
men, who are twice as likely to die from such cancer. 
There are over 3,100,000 men in the United States 
living with prostate cancer. 
(14) It is estimated that, in 2021, approxi-
mately 119,100 men in the United States will be di-
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agnosed with lung cancer, and an estimated 69,410 
men will die from lung cancer. 
(15) It is estimated that, in 2021, approxi-
mately 79,520 men in the United States will be di-
agnosed with colorectal cancer, and 28,520 men will 
die from colorectal cancer. 
(16) Men make up over half the diabetes pa-
tients aged 18 and over in the United States (17.9 
million men total) and over 1⁄3 of them don’t know 
it. Approximately 34.2 million people in the United 
States are living with diabetes, and men are more 
likely to die from the disease. In the United States, 
88 million people aged 18 and older, 40.9 million 
men, and 47.1 million women have prediabetes. Peo-
ple with diagnosed diabetes have medical expendi-
tures that are 2.3 times higher than patients with-
out diabetes, and the estimated cost of diabetes in 
2017 was $327 million. 
(17) A research study found that premature 
death and morbidity in men costs Federal, State, 
and local governments in excess of $142 billion an-
nually. It also costs United States employers, and 
society as a whole, in excess of $156 billion annually 
and an additional $181 billion annually in decreased 
quality of life. 
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(18) Over 9,470 men will be diagnosed in 2021 
with testicular cancer, and 440 of these men will die 
from this disease. A common reason for delay in 
treatment of this disease is a delay in seeking med-
ical attention after discovering a testicular mass. 
(19) Men over the past decade have shown 
poorer health outcomes than women across all racial 
and ethnic groups as well as socioeconomic status. 
(20) Healthy fathers can be role models for 
their children, leading by example, and encouraging 
them to lead healthy lifestyles. 
(21) Establishing an Office of Men’s Health is 
needed to investigate these findings and take further 
action to promote awareness of men’s health needs. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF MEN’S HEALTH. 
Title XVII of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 300u et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 1711. OFFICE OF MEN’S HEALTH. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
within the Department of Health and Human Services an 
office to be known as the Office of Men’s Health, which 
shall be headed by a director to be appointed by the Sec-
retary. 
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‘‘(b) ACTIVITIES.—The Director of the Office of 
Men’s Health shall— 
‘‘(1) conduct, support, coordinate, and promote 
programs and activities to improve the state of 
men’s health in the United States, including by 
working with the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
the Department of Defense, and the Office of Per-
sonnel Management; and 
‘‘(2) consult with the offices and agencies of the 
Department of Health and Human Services for the 
purposes of— 
‘‘(A) coordinating public awareness, edu-
cation, and screening programs and activities 
relating to men’s health, with an emphasis on 
colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, cho-
lesterol, and mental health screening programs 
for men identified as being at increased risk of 
developing such conditions and diseases; 
‘‘(B) coordinating programs and activities 
under title XVIII of the Social Security Act re-
lating to men’s health, including colorectal can-
cer, prostate cancer, diabetes, cholesterol, and 
mental health screening programs; and 
‘‘(C) establishing and maintaining a data-
base of best practices, clinical guidelines, cur-
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rent clinical research published, and funded and 
active requests for grant proposals in order to 
promote quality assurance and improved under-
standing of clinical issues affecting men. 
‘‘(c) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Director shall 
submit to the Congress a report describing the activities 
of such Office, including findings by the Director regard-
ing men’s health.’’. 
SEC. 4. GUIDANCE. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall issue guidance regarding the improvement 
of men’s health outcomes under section 1711 of the Public 
Health Service Act, as added by section 3, that includes— 
(1) the development of short-range and long- 
range goals and objectives within the Department of 
Health and Human Services, in coordination with 
other appropriate offices of the Department, that re-
late to disease prevention, health promotion, service 
delivery, research, and public and health care profes-
sional education for issues of particular concern to 
men throughout their lifespan; and 
(2) recommendations for enhancing the Depart-
ment’s outreach with respect to men’s health. 
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SEC. 5. STUDY AND REPORTS. 
(a) OASH STUDY.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary 
for Health of the Department of Health and Human Serv-
ices (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Assistant Sec-
retary’’), in collaboration with the Director of the National 
Cancer Institute and the Director of the National Institute 
of Mental Health, shall conduct a study on the following: 
(1) Whether underscreening or underdiagnosis 
of men’s health issues exist, with emphasis on 
colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, mental health, 
and other health concerns for which men are at a 
great risk. 
(2) Causes of any such underscreening or 
underdiagnosis. 
(3) Whether men underutilize health services. 
(4) Causes of any such underutilization. 
(b) OASH REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Sec-
retary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress a report on the findings of the study conducted 
under subsection (a) and include any recommendations re-
sulting from such findings. 
(c) GAO REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall submit to the appropriate com-
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mittees of Congress a report detailing the effectiveness of 
Federal agency outreach with respect to men’s health ini-
tiatives. 
Æ 
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