news

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) voted in the Health Subcommittee to advance a package of bills including several bills she led the introduction of and ushered through the subcommittee. The package of bills take steps to end surprise billing for patients, make prescription drug prices more transparent, and address the long-term care crisis by supporting in-home primary care for chronically ill Medicare patients.

“Our Subcommittee has been focused on lowering prescription drug prices this entire Congress, and the policies advanced today will help to increase transparency and reduce costs for consumers,” said Dingell. “High costs devastate countless American families every day. I hear from people every day and know first-hand the shock and confusion you feel when you walk into the pharmacy or get a bill in the mail that is multitudes more than you were expecting. The legislation advanced today will make a real difference for families and I will continue pushing to ensure every American has access to quality, affordable healthcare they need.”

Dingell’s Independence at Home Demonstration Act was included in an a managers amendment to the package. Earlier this week, she led the introduction of this bipartisan bill with Reps. Michael Burgess (R-TX), Kenny Marchant (R-TX), and Mike Thompson (D-CA). The Independence at Home Demonstration Act of 2019 would extend the Independence at Home Medical Practice Demonstration Program (IAH) for three years. By providing in-home primary care to chronically ill Medicare beneficiaries, IAH has the potential to cut health care costs while yielding valuable benefits for patients.

“The Independence at Home program has a proven track record of helping people get the care they need and keeping people in their homes, all while saving taxpayers money,” said Dingell. “IAH is commonsense. Receiving care at home is more comfortable for the patient and supports families who are often juggling work along with their caregiving responsibilities. This bipartisan effort to extend this critical program is part of addressing critical problems in our long-term care system.”

Thursday, the Health Subcommittee marked up and passed ten bills, including many cosponsored by Dingell.

• H.R. 2781, the "EMPOWER for Health Act"
• H.R. 728, the "Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act" (Dingell cosponsored)
• H.R. 1058, the "Autism CARES Act" (Dingell cosponsored)
• H.R. 2507, the "Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act"(Dingell cosponsored)
• H.R. 776, the "Emergency Medical Services for Children Program Reauthorization Act"
• H.R. 2035, the "Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act" (Dingell cosponsored)
• H.R. 2296, the "FAIR Drug Pricing Act"
• H.R. 2328, the "Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence Act" (Dingell cosponsored)
• H.R. 3631, the "Territories Health Care Improvement Act"
• H.R. 3630, the "No Surprises Act"

###