zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
International Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement Act of 2008 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to require the United States Trade Representative (USTR), within 90 days after submitting the annual National Trade Estimate, to develop an action plan for foreign countries that have spent at least one year on the priority watch list that calls for such countries to meet benchmarks designed to assist them to achieve: (1) effective protection of intellectual property rights; and (2) equitable market access for U.S. persons that rely upon intellectual property protection. Authorizes the President to impose certain economic sanctions on foreign countries that do not substantially comply with the benchmarks of an action plan. Directs the President to ensure that an intellectual property attaché with the title of Minister-Counselor is placed in the U.S. embassy of each foreign country that has a commercially significant relationship with the United States.

Date: 2008-09-10
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Foreign trade and international finance
Vision Preservation Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to expand and intensify programs to increase awareness of vision problems. Directs the Secretary to expand and intensify: (1) activities to establish a solid scientific base of knowledge on the prevention, control, and rehabilitation of vision problems and related disabilities; (2) research within CDC on the prevention and management of vision loss; and (3) programs targeted to prevent vision loss, treat eye and vision conditions, and rehabilitate people of all ages who are blind or partially sighted in underserved and minority communities.Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to authorize appropriations to enable the Secretary to introduce core performance measures on eye health by incorporating vision screening and examination standards into state programs.Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations for vision rehabilitation professional development.

Date: 2008-09-22
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Coordinator Act of 2008 - Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to assign the Chief of its Financial Crimes Section, Criminal Investigative Division, to be the Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Coordinator, who shall oversee all FBI activities related to investigation of mortgage fraud. Directs the Coordinator to: (1) establish regional task forces, consisting of the voluntary participation of federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies, to organize initiatives to address mortgage fraud; (2) train such agencies; (3) collect and disseminate mortgage fraud data; and (4) perform other related functions. Authorizes the Coordinator to: (1) establish a toll-free hotline and other information systems for receiving reports and informing the public about mortgage fraud; and (2) creating a database of mortgage industry license suspensions and revocations. Authorizes the Department of Justice, upon consideration of any recommendations by the Coordinator, to: (1) propose legislation to federal, state, and local legislative bodies to assist in the detection, investigation, and prosecution of mortgage fraud, including measures to address mortgage loan procedures and property appraiser practices; and (2) make recommendations to Congress as to the need for additional resources to combat mortgage fraud.

Date: 2008-09-23
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Dental Health Promotion Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow reimbursement from flexible spending accounts for products used to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent the onset of tooth decay (caries), periodontal diseases, and conditions ailing the teeth, gums, and mouth, or affecting their functioning.

Date: 2008-11-20
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Taxation
Medicare Hearing Enhancement and Auditory Rehabilitation (HEAR) Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover hearing aids and auditory rehabilitation services under the Medicare program.

Date: 2009-01-14
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Enhancing Safety in Medicine Utilizing Leading Advanced Simulation Technologies to Improve Outcomes Now Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to conduct and support research, evaluations, initiatives, and demonstration projects, and provide grants or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements, to enhance the deployment of medical simulation technologies and the incorporation of such technologies and equipment into medical, nursing, allied health, podiatric, osteopathic, and dental education and training protocols.Requires the Director to: (1) establish medical simulation centers of excellence; (2) promote innovation by conducting and supporting research on complex or challenging medical simulation and interdisciplinary simulation technologies and developing an electronic clearinghouse of such technologies; and (3) award grants for purchasing, incorporating, and deploying such technologies for training of physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and qualified students. Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the Federal Medical Simulation Coordinating Council. Requires the Director to establish an advisory panel to make recommendations on how to structure programs established by this Act.

Date: 2009-02-04
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Athletic Trainers' Equal Access to Medicare Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for: (1) access to outpatient occupational and physical therapy services provided incident to a physician's professional services if furnished by an educated or credentialed therapist who does not have a license; and (2) coverage of certified athletic trainer services under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of Medicare, including those provided in rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers.

Date: 2009-02-23
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Alzheimer's Family Assistance Act of 2009- Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a phased-in tax credit ($2,000 in 2009 increasing by $500 each year until allowing $3,500 in 2012 and thereafter) for family caregivers of spouses and dependents who have long-term care needs; (2) allow a tax deduction for long-term care insurance premiums; and (3) apply certain consumer protection standards to long-term care insurance contracts.

Date: 2009-02-25
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Taxation
Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to take certain actions regarding eating disorder research, including to: (1) implement a scientifically justified budget for research on eating disorders; (2) coordinate and evaluate NIH research activities and programs; (3) expand NIH research on eating disorders; (4) establish a task force on eating disorder research; and (5) provide for centers of excellence for research on eating disorders. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) provide for the collection, analysis, and reporting of epidemiological data on eating disorders; (2) establish a Center of Eating Disorders Epidemiology to collect and analyze information on eating disorders; and (3) establish a CDC clearinghouse for the collection and storage of data generated under this Act. Sets forth provisions providing for education and training on eating disorders, including requirements for: (1) developing and implementing a training program for health professionals on eating disorders; (2) establishing the Task Force on Eating Disorders Prevention in Educational Institutions to develop and provide training on eating disorders identification and prevention for students, faculty, coaches, and staff in schools; and (3) conducting public service announcements. Amends the PHSA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits to also provide coverage for eating disorders. Applies such requirement to coverage offered in the individual market and coverage offered under the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program.

Date: 2009-02-25
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Medicare Oral Health Rehabilitative Enhancement Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to permit physical therapy to be furnished under the Medicare program to individuals under the care of a dentist.

Date: 2009-03-11
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Travel Trailer Residents' Health Registry Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS Secretary) to: (1) establish and maintain a health registry for individuals exposed to formaldehyde in temporary housing units provided by the government when displaced by a major disaster that occurred between August 29, 2005, and December 31, 2009; (2) include in the registry information the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS Secretary) determines is necessary to ascertain and monitor the health effects of such exposure; (3) develop a public information campaign to inform eligible individuals about the registry; and (4) periodically notify such individuals of significant developments in the study and treatment of conditions associated with exposure. Directs the DHS Secretary to contract with the HHS Secretary to provide health examinations, consultations, and mental health counseling free of charge to each eligible individual.Requires the HHS Secretary to contract with an independent scientific organization to report to Congress on: (1) the effectiveness of actions taken to collect and maintain information on the health consequences of such exposure; (2) recommendations to improve such collection and maintenance; and (3) the most effective and prudent means of addressing medical needs of eligible individuals.Requires: (1) such health consultation and mental health counseling to provide to each eligible individual information on examination results and on developments; and (2) the Secretary to commence an epidemiological study of the immediate and long-term effects of such exposure sufficient to further understand the medical needs of eligible individuals.

Date: 2009-03-23
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Breast Cancer Patient Protect Act of 2009 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. Prohibits such a plan from: (1) restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection, insofar as the attending physician, in consultation with the patient, determines such stay to be medically necessary; or (2) requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan or issuer for prescribing any such length of stay. Requires such a plan or issuer to: (1) provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act; and (2) ensure that coverage is provided for secondary consultations. Prohibits a group health plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act. Applies such requirements to health insurance issuers offering coverage in the individual market. Allows a health insurance issuer that provides individual health insurance coverage to nonrenew or discontinue an individual's coverage based on the intentional concealment of material facts regarding a health condition related to the condition for which coverage is being claimed.

Date: 2009-03-24
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) authorize Medicare coverage of and payment for intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) administered in the home; and (2) Medicare coverage of disposable pumps for administration of a drug to treat colorectal cancer in certain cases.

Date: 2009-03-26
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Medicare Patient Access to Physical Therapists Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to authorize qualified physical therapists to provide services for Medicare beneficiaries without the requirement of a physician referral. Provides for treatment of outpatient speech-language pathology services separately from outpatient physical therapy services.

Date: 2009-03-31
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Global Autism Assistance Act of 2009 - Directs the Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish and administer a health and education grant program (Global Autism Assistance Program) to: (1) support activities by nongovernmental organizations and other service providers, including advocacy groups, focused on autism in developing countries; and (2) establish a "teach the teachers" program to train health and education professionals working with autistic children in developing countries.

Date: 2009-04-02
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: International affairs
Medicare Paramedic Intercept Services Coverage Act of 2009 - Amends the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to revise requirements for payment for paramedic intercept service providers in rural communities. Changes from discretionary to mandatory the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in promulgating regulations for coverage of ambulance services, to cover advanced life support intercept services (ALS intercept services), regardless of the area involved. (Currently they must be provided in a rural area). Includes new conditions of coverage that define ALS intercept services as consisting of a qualified paramedic providing ALS level services in connection with the transport of a patient by an ambulance qualified to provide only a basic life support level of services. Requires that: (1) the entity providing the ambulance transportation be a public, non-profit, or volunteer organization; and (2) the paramedic providing such services is not employed or compensated by the entity providing the ambulance transportation. (Currently the ALS intercept services must be provided under a contract with one or more volunteer ambulance services which are required to be prohibited by state law from billing for any such services.) Requires, in addition, that: (1) such services be medically necessary based on the medical condition for which they are dispatched (currently they must be medically necessary based on the health condition of the individual being transported); and (2) the paramedic providing the intercept services accompanies and provides an ALS assessment or ALS intervention to the patient during the transport. Prohibits the Secretary from taking into account any payments made pursuant to this Act in determining payment amounts under the Medicare ambulance fee schedule, or the aggregate amount of payments under such fee schedule, for any year.

Date: 2009-04-02
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Dental Health Promotion Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow reimbursement from flexible spending accounts for products used to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent the onset of tooth decay (caries), periodontal diseases, and conditions ailing the teeth, gums, and mouth, or affecting their functioning.

Date: 2009-04-02
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Taxation
Diabetes in Minority Populations Evaluation Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit to Congress a report on the research and other public health activities of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with respect to diabetes among minority populations. Requires the report to include an evaluation of: (1) research on diabetes among minority populations; (2) surveillance and data collection on diabetes among minority populations; (3) community-based interventions targeting minority populations; (4) education and training of health professionals (including community health workers) on the prevention and management of diabetes and its related complications that is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration; and (5) recommendations for improvement of HHS research and other public health activities with respect to diabetes among minority populations, including recommendations for coordination and comprehensive planning of such research and activities.

Date: 2009-04-21
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Medicare Patient IVIG Access Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect data on the differences, if any, between: (1) payments to physicians for immune globulins using average sales price payment methodology; and (2) costs incurred by physicians for furnishing these products. Requires the Secretary also to review data on the access of eligible individuals to immune globulins. Requires the Secretary, after completion of the review, to provide, if appropriate, an additional payment to such physicians for all items related to the furnishing of immune globulins as part of hospital outpatient services. Provides for Medicare coverage of and payment for intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) administered in the home. Directs the Secretary to contract for the collection of data on the practice of IVIG infusion if the Secretary determines that collection of additional data is necessary. Directs the Secretary to review data collected under such a contract as well as data submitted by members of the medical community related to the current infusion payment codes under part B (SupplementaryMedical Insurance) of SSA title XVIII. Requires the Secretary, upon completion of any data collection and review, to: (1) notify the appropriate Medicare administrative contractors regarding which existing infusion codes shall be used for purposes of part B IVIG reimbursement; or (2) report to Congress and the RBRVS Update Committee (RUC) on why an additional infusion payment code is necessary. Extends the meaning of durable medical equipment to include a disposable pump prescribed, instead of a non-disposable external infusion pump, for administration of a drug used as part of a chemotherapy regimen for treatment of colorectal cancer, if a non-disposable external infusion pump would have been covered to administer the same drug for the same indication as of July 1, 2008.

Date: 2009-04-21
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
SMA Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a national clinical trials network for spinal muscular atrophy by upgrading and unifying spinal muscular atrophy clinical trial sites and recruiting new investigators and sites. Requires the Director to ensure that such network: (1) conducts coordinated, multisite, clinical trials of therapies and clinical approaches to the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy; and (2) rapidly and efficiently disseminates scientific findings to the field. Requires the Director to: (1) establish a data coordinating center with respect to spinal muscular atrophy; and (2) expand and intensify NIH programs with respect to preclinical translation research related to spinal muscular atrophy. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to enhance and support a spinal muscular atrophy patient registry to provide for expanded epidemiological research towards improving awareness, management, treatment, and prevention of spinal muscular atrophy. Requires the Secretary to ensure the collection and analysis of longitudinal data related to individuals of all ages. Directs the Secretary to establish the Interagency Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Coordinating Committee. Sets forth the duties of the Committee, including to develop a comprehensive strategy related to spinal muscular atrophy research and other related neurological diseases and disorders. Requires the Secretary to establish a program to provide information and education on spinal muscular atrophy to health professionals and the general public.

Date: 2009-04-28
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Medicare Equity and Accessibility Act of 2009 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to certain factors and indices in geographic adjustments to the fee schedule for determination of payments for physicians' services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to increase the practice expense geographic index to 1.0 for any location for which the practice expense geographic index is less than 1.0. Repeals the current termination date in order to extend permanently the 1.0 floor for the work expense geographic index.

Date: 2009-04-30
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Physician Pathology Services Continuity Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, with regard to a laboratory-furnished technical component of certain physician pathology services, to treat such component as a service for which payment shall be made to the laboratory, and not as an inpatient hospital or hospital outpatient service for which payment is made to the hospital.

Date: 2009-05-20
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Prosthetic and Custom Orthotic Parity Act of 2009 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require a group health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits as well as benefits for prosthetic devices and components and orthotic devices to offer such prosthetic and orthotic coverage in the same manner as applicable to medical and surgical benefits. Prohibits separate financial requirements or more restrictive treatment limitations. Limits required benefits for prosthetic devices and custom orthotic devices and related services to the most appropriate model that adequately meets the medical requirements of the patient. Requires benefits to include repairs and replacements as determined appropriate by the treating physician. Prohibits any annual or lifetime dollar limitation on benefits for prosthetic devices and custom orthotic devices and related services unless such limitation applies in the aggregate to all benefits.

Date: 2009-05-21
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Optometric Equity in Medicaid Act of 2009 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require Medicaid coverage of medical and other health services of optometrists that are otherwise covered when furnished by a physician.

Date: 2009-06-04
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from applying, during a specified period, certain revised Medicare average hourly wage comparison reclassification criteria to a "subsection (d) hospital" seeking reclassification of its wage index during such period. (Generally a subsection (d) hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)

Date: 2009-06-08
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
GPCI Justice Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, with respect to the geographic practice cost index (GPCI) for adjustments to physician fee schedule areas, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to revise the fee schedule areas for California to use the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) iterative Geographic Adjustment Factor methodology, in accordance with specified requirements.

Date: 2009-06-11
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act - Transfers marijuana from schedule I to schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act.Provides that no provision of the Controlled Substances Act or the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act shall prohibit or otherwise restrict, in a state in which marijuana may, under state law, be prescribed or recommended by a physician for medical use: (1) a physician from prescribing or recommending marijuana for medical use; (2) an individual from obtaining, possessing, transporting, manufacturing, or using marijuana in accordance with such a prescription or recommendation; (3) an individual authorized under state law to do so from obtaining, possessing, transporting, or manufacturing marijuana on an authorized patient's behalf; (4) a pharmacy or other entity authorized to do so from obtaining, possessing, or distributing marijuana to such patients; or (5) an entity established by such a state or local government thereof to do so from producing, possessing, or distributing marijuana for such a prescription or recommendation.

Date: 2009-06-11
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Medicare Payment Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine a value index for the physician work component for each Medicare physician fee schedule area.

Date: 2009-06-12
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Medicare Quality Cancer Care Demonstration Project Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a quality cancer care demonstration project for the purpose of establishing quality metrics and aligning payment incentives under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act in the areas of treating planning and end-of-life care for Medicare beneficiaries with cancer.

Date: 2009-06-15
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Restorative and Enhanced Vision Access for Medicare Patients (REVAMP) Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover vision restoration therapy devices and associated software used in the patient's home to treat impaired visual function as durable medical equipment (DME).

Date: 2009-06-18
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Cure and Understanding through Research for Alzheimer's Act of 2009 or La Cura Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to ensure sufficient resources for activities relating to Alzheimer's disease and Hispanic communities, including by: (1) increasing efforts in epidemiological work in Hispanic subgroups; (2) allocating resources to the National Institute on Aging Alzheimer's disease research centers and other academic centers involved in such research to increase participation of Hispanics and other underrepresented ethnic groups in research and clinical trials in sufficient numbers to draw valid conclusions; and (3) conducting social, behavioral, and health services research to understand the underlying reasons why Hispanic individuals delay diagnosis and underutilize services, to identify culturally and linguistically appropriate approaches to address such delays and underutilization, and to identify approaches for providing, and improving the quality of, culturally competent care. Requires the Director to expand and intensify NIH efforts to educate communities about the importance of research relating to Alzheimer's disease and to respond effectively to cultural concerns about participation in such research.Authorizes appropriations for a program of grants to states to carry out demonstration programs related to Alzheimer's disease. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct an aggressive, evidence-based education and outreach program to promote public awareness and risk reduction with respect to Alzheimer's disease, particularly to Hispanic populations.

Date: 2009-06-19
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Medicare Hearing Health Care Enhancement Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for direct access to qualified audiologists for Medicare beneficiaries, without regard to any requirement that the beneficiary be under the care of (or referred by) a physician or other health care practitioner, or that such services are provided under the supervision of a physician or other health care practitioner. Covers audiology services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance).

Date: 2009-06-24
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Obesity Treatment and Wellness Act of 2009 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require Medicaid coverage of medical nutrition therapy to treat or prevent the progression of a chronic condition or disease which an individual is considered as having, or at risk of developing, as the result of being overweight and obese.

Date: 2009-06-26
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Optometric Fairness in Medicaid Act of 2009 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require Medicaid coverage of professional medical services of optometrists.

Date: 2009-07-10
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Dietary Supplement Tax Fairness Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat amounts paid for foods for special dietary use, dietary supplements, and medical foods as medical expenses for purposes of the medical expense tax deduction.

Date: 2009-07-20
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Taxation
Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2009 - Authorizes appropriations for conducting and supporting research on Alzheimer's disease in FY2010-FY2014. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute on Aging to: (1) give priority to conducting and supporting Alzheimer's disease research; (2) increase the emphasis on the need to conduct Alzheimer's disease prevention trials within the National Institutes of Health (NIH); (3) ensure that Alzheimer's disease is maintained as a high priority for NIH's neuroscience initiative; and (4) conduct and support cooperative clinical research regarding Alzheimer's disease. Requires the Director to conduct research related to: (1) the early detection, diagnosis, and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and its potential precursors; (2) early onset Alzheimer's disease and related dementias; (3) the relationship of vascular disease and Alzheimer's disease; and (4) interventions designed to help caregivers and improve patient outcomes. Authorizes the Director to establish a National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center to facilitate collaborative research among the Alzheimer's Disease Centers and Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Expands the research of Alzheimer's Disease Centers to include outcome measures and disease management. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convene a National Summit on Alzheimer's Disease. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct activities related to risk factors and early recognition of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administration on Aging, to award a cooperative grant for the establishment and operation of an Alzheimer's Call Center. Extends and expands demonstration projects relating to Alzheimer's disease.

Date: 2009-07-22
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Medicare Chronic Care Practice Research Network Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a Medicare Chronic Care Rapid Learning Network to develop and evaluate evidence-based chronic care management for Medicare beneficiaries with multiple, chronic illnesses, with a focus on beneficiaries under the Medicare fee-for-service program whose care is most costly.

Date: 2009-07-24
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
IMPROVE Act - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require provider and supplier payments under Medicare and Medicaid to be made through direct deposit or electronic funds transfer (EFT) at depository institutions that are federally insured or eligible for federal insurance.

Date: 2009-07-28
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Ryan White Grantee Medicaid Payment Equity Act of 2009 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require a state Medicaid plan to provide for payment for Medicaid services furnished by a recipient of a grant under part C of title XXVI of the Public Health Service Act (Ryan White Part C grantees) under a cost-based prospective payment system.

Date: 2009-09-29
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for Aged and Disabled) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare competitive acquisition program for durable medical equipment and prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS).

Date: 2009-10-13
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Tele-Care Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) to provide for coverage under Medicare part B (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of unscheduled physician telephone services by a licensed health care practitioner, subject to certain requirements. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a demonstration program to test the effectiveness of such coverage.

Date: 2009-10-15
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Bone Health Promotion and Research Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and implement a National Bone Health Program for the control, prevention, and surveillance of osteoporosis and related bone diseases and to coordinate and carry out national education and outreach activities in support of such program; (2) authorize the Secretary to award grants to states and Indian tribes for comprehensive osteoporosis and related bone disease control and prevention programs; and (3) award grants or enter into cooperative agreements for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on osteoporosis and related bone diseases. including osteogenesis imperfecta and Paget's disease of bone. Requires the Secretary to establish the Osteoporosis and Related Bone Disease Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Health on conducting activities related to the National Bone Health Program. Directs the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to: (1) expand and intensify NIH research programs for osteoporosis and related bone diseases, including osteogenesis imperfecta, Paget's disease of bone, and rare bone diseases; and (2) award planning grants or contracts for the establishment or enhancement of research programs for osteoporosis and related bone diseases.

Date: 2009-10-20
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on February 24, 2010. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Amends the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 to extend through February 28, 2011, provisions: (1) granting roving surveillance authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) where the court finds that the actions of the target may thwart the identification of a specified person or other persons (by using multiple devices or modes of communication, among other means); and (2) authorizing the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to apply for a court order requiring production of tangible things (including books, records, papers, and documents), not merely business records, for foreign intelligence and international terrorism investigations. Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to extend through February 28, 2011, an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) that redefines "agent of a foreign power" to include any non-U.S. person who engages in international terrorism or activities in preparation for such terrorism ("lone wolf" provision).

Date: 2009-10-29
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Alzheimer's Treatment and Caregiver Support Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public and nonprofit private health care providers to expand treatment services for patients with Alzheimer's disease and training and support services for families and caregivers of such patients.

Date: 2009-11-19
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Medicare SGR Improvement and Reform Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide an increased annual update for the Sustainable Growth Mechanism (SGR) formula for determining rates in the fee schedule for Medicare physician payments. Sets a three-year time limit for the commencement of a health care lawsuit. Prescribes requirements for: (1) unlimited damages for a claimant's actual economic losses in health care lawsuits; (2) court supervision of arrangements for payment of such damages, including limitation of contingent attorney fees; (3) restrictions on punitive damages; and (4) payment of future damages to claimants in health care suits. Terminates funding of the Medicare Improvement Fund as of January 1, 2010. Amends the Public Health Service Act to prescribe requirements for the licensure of biological products as biosimilar or interchangeable. Includes under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act fees relating to the licensure of a biological product. Amends patent law with respect to biosimilar products. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to adopt a single set of consensus-based operating rules for each health information transaction.

Date: 2009-11-19
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to authorize continued use of 2009 Medicare practice expense relative value units for certain cardiology services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to contract with an independent entity to study and report to Congress on the practice expense methodology used to determine relative value units under this Act to determine whether the cost finding, indirect cost allocation, scaling, and budget neutrality methodologies used: (1) are consistent with generally accepted accounting principles; (2) distribute the burden of any necessary budget neutrality adjustments proportionally among all physicians' services; and (3) result in allowances that accurately reflect the relative direct and indirect resources involved in the provision of various physicians' services.

Date: 2009-12-16
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Cancer Screening Coverage Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan to provide coverage for certain types of cancer screening. Includes under such coverage mammograms, clinical breast examinations, pap tests and pelvic examinations, colorectal screening procedures, and prostate screening tests, at specified intervals and through specified procedures for certain age groups in appropriate genders. Prohibits related eligibility discrimination, monetary incentives to individuals, and penalties or incentives to providers. Requires such plans and issuers to provide certain disclosures to participants and beneficiaries, including regarding covered benefits, cost sharing, and participating providers. Applies the requirements of this Act to coverage offered in the individual market and under the federal employees health benefits plan. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to modify coverage requirements under this Act to incorporate new scientific and technological advances, practice pattern changes, or other updated medical practices regarding cancer screening.

Date: 2010-02-02
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Lymphedema Diagnosis and Treatment Cost Savings Act of 2010 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend coverage to lymphedema diagnosis and treatment services.

Date: 2010-02-23
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Patients' Right to Know Act - Requires each entity offering a health benefits plan to make available to enrollees and potential enrollees specified information, including covered items and services, a list of limitations and restrictions, the claims appeal process, out-of-pocket cost-sharing, among other things. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require the state Medicaid plan to provide that the state will establish and maintain laws to require disclosure to the public and the Secretary of information on hospital and ambulatory surgical center prices and quality.

Date: 2010-03-10
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to report to Congress on the Medicare DSH (disproportionate share hospital) payment system, taking into account the impact of the health care reforms under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA), in reducing the number of uninsured individuals. Requires the Secretary to make specified adjustments to the Medicare DSH payment system, including an additional payment to hospitals based on the amount of uncompensated care they have provided, if there is a significant decrease in the national rate of uninsurance as a result of corrected PPACA. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), as amended by PPACA and HCERA, to eliminate certain current requirements for adjustments to Medicare DSH payments. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid), as amended by PPACA and HCERA, to postpone specified Medicaid DSH reductions scheduled for FY2014-FY2020 until FY2018-FY2024.

Date: 2010-05-26
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Custom Fabricated Prosthetic Breast Act of 2010 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend coverage to custom fabricated breast prostheses after a mastectomy.

Date: 2010-05-27
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Quality Cancer Care for Life Act of 2010 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to improve the quality of cancer care and the quality of life for cancer patients and survivors by expanding CDC cancer control programs, including the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program and the National Program of Cancer Registries. Requires the Director of CDC to award grants to: (1) develop, implement, and evaluate cancer case management and coordination programs to enhance the quality of cancer care and the quality of life for patients and survivors and to improve cancer outcomes; and (2) train individuals to undertake the quality of life needs of cancer patients, survivors, and family caregivers. Requires the Secretary to establish a Quality of Life Advisory Committee to advise, coordinate, and assist the CDC in creating and conducting the cancer quality of life and survivorship activities, program enhancements, and training initiatives under this Act. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to undertake additional cancer quality of life and survivorship research that addresses pain, symptom management, side effects and late effects, and psychosocial factors to improve cancer clinical communication and care planning, treatment and post-treatment, and follow-up care across the life course.

Date: 2010-06-17
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) to require payment for post-mastectomy external breast prosthesis garments regardless of whether such items are supplied to the beneficiary before or after the mastectomy or other breast cancer surgical procedure. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop policies to ensure appropriate beneficiary access and utilization safeguards for such items.

Date: 2010-06-24
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to require congressional approval of the designation by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) of a benefit plan as the CLASS Independence Benefit Plan under the CLASS program (a national, voluntary insurance program for purchasing community living assistance services and supports). Sets forth procedures for such congressional approval by joint resolution. Prohibits an employer from enrolling an employee in the CLASS program without providing specified notice to the employee, which includes: (1) the significant risk of failure of such a program; (2) information on deficits that the program is expected to run; (3) a statement that there is no separate pool of money set aside to pay the CLASS program benefits; and (4) an explanation of the immediate termination of the program if it is reported to be actuarially unsound. Prohibits premiums from being collected before the Secretary has promulgated the required regulations in final form. Terminates such program if the report by the Board of Trustees of the CLASS Independence Fund indicates that the Fund is projected to be actuarially unsound over the 75-year period beginning with the fiscal year in which such report is submitted. Establishes a refund process.

Date: 2010-07-26
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
HOPE for Alzheimer's: Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) to cover comprehensive Alzheimer's disease and other dementia diagnosis and services. Requires the Federal Coordinated Health Care Office to study and report to Congress on: (1) barriers to the detection of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias for dual eligible individuals; (2) barriers to the furnishing of comprehensive Alzheimer's disease and other dementia diagnosis and services to such individuals; and (3) ways to eliminate such barriers.

Date: 2010-07-29
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Health
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) develop treatment protocols and related tools for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); (2) improve biomedical and prosthetic research programs regarding COPD; (3) develop pilot programs to demonstrate best practices for the diagnosis and management of COPD; and (4) develop improved techniques and best practices for assisting individuals with COPD in successfully quitting smoking.

Date: 2010-07-30
Topic: Health (Insurance Providers)
Subject: Armed forces and national security