ACTION CENTRAL: Legislation You Should Know About |
From time to time, we bring to your attention a bill that is before Congress or the Senate and ask you to write to your Representatives or Senators to take a position.
Action Alerts –Issues and Bills You Should be Watching GENETIC INFORMATION NONDISCRIMINATION ACT OF 2007
Title: A bill to prohibit discrimination on the basis of genetic information with respect to health insurance and employment. S 358
Sponsor: Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME] (introduced 1/22/2007) Cosponsors (32) Related Bills: H.R.493 Senate Reports: 110-48 The purpose of this legislation is to protect individuals from discrimination in health insurance and employment on the basis of genetic information. Establishing these protections will allay concerns about the potential for discrimination and encourage individuals to participate in genetic research and to take advantage of genetic testing, new technologies, and new therapies. The legislation will provide substantive protections to those individuals who may suffer from actual genetic discrimination now and in the future. These steps are essential to fulfilling the promise of the human genome project. Read more here. "Home Oxygen Threatened Again" For more information, read the following: “Home Oxygen Bill Introduced to Restore Benefits for DME” You need to know what is at stake and take a stand. Read: Pulmonary Hypertension Research Act of 2005 (Introduced in House) 109th CONGRESS This bill HR 3005 (formerly HR 1316) is now before Congress and if passed will go to the Senate as S 1774. Continued research is a must and this bill will provide, along with other things: basic and clinical research into the cause, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, control and treatment of PH; training programs for scientists and health professionals; continued education for health professionals on PH; the establishment of a pulmonary hypertension data system and clearinghouse at NHLBI (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute which is part of the National Institutes of Health). This funding is essential to help provide the cure for pulmonary hypertension. Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2005 – S.1217 (109th Congress) Outcomes of Recent Legislation The 2005 Deficit Reduction Bill (S.1932) which included some important changes in the way Medicare and Medicaid pay for home oxygen, passed quietly in February of 2006. If you’re using supplemental oxygen, after three years beginning January 1, 2006, you will own your equipment and be responsible for maintaining it. Here are links for more information: CMS ANNOUNCES PAYMENT CHANGES FOR MEDICARE HOME HEALTH SERVICES AND CERTAIN DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT Here is a link to the 416 pages of the formal ruling Recent Items From the PHCentral Newsroom: Democrats Press House To Expand Health Care Bill July 23, 2007 A Battle Over Expansion Of Children’s Insurance July 9, 2007 Senate Rejects Drug Imports; House Has Similar Bill May 8, 2007 Senate Likely To Back Drug Reimportation May 4, 2007
WRITE TO YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS – YOUR OPINION COUNTS! This link will take you to the Legislative Action Center hosted by the League of Women Voters. Just enter your zip code and click "GO" SEARCH THE LIBRARY OF COMMERCE FOR CURRENT OR PAST LEGISLATION INCLUDING THE BILLS LISTED ABOVE. You may search the Library of Commerce by bill number or by typing in key worlds. Note: you need to specify the congress number to narrow down your search as the bill numbering system begins fresh every year. For 2005-6, the congress is numbered at 109. Useful Resources: GOVERNMENT INFORMATION — Bills and information about your Representatives and Senators This will give you your Representatives phone numbers This will give you your Senators phone numbers. With this link you can find any bill that is currently before Congress or the Senate |