Hearings/Markups

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee: “Examining the Response to Lung Illnesses and Rising Youth Electronic Cigarette Use”
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019: The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing to examine the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) response to lung illnesses and rising youth electronic cigarette use.

Why this is important: Senators of both parties questioned Mitch Zeller, the head of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products, holding him responsible for a lack of information on upcoming e-cigarette policy and flavor bans from the FDA. Zeller referred the members of the committee to the White House for more comment.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMG) completed regulatory review of a proposed rule about electronic nicotine delivery systems on Nov. 4, and canceled meetings with stakeholders. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar commented that the rule is not finished yet, and said President Trump is still interested in hearing from all stakeholders.

Find more details on the hearing here.

House Committee on Energy and Commerce: Markup of H.R. 2339, H.R. 4995, H.R. 4996 and H.R. 2387
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019: The House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health met in an open markup session of four health-related bills.

H.R. 2339, the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019, was favorably forwarded to the full committee, amended, by a voice vote.

H.R. 4995, the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act of 2019, was favorably forwarded to the full committee, without amendment, by a voice vote.

H.R. 4996, the Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity Services (MOMS) Act of 2019, was favorably forwarded to the full committee, amended, by a voice vote.

H.R. 2387, the Stop the Overuse of Petitions and Get Affordable Medicines to Enter Soon (STOP GAMES) Act of 2019, was favorably forwarded to the full committee, without amendment, by a voice vote.

Find more details on the markup and amendments here.

House Ways and Means Committee: “Caring for Aging Americans”
Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019: The House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing to discuss long-term care issues, which included discussion of care in the home, hospice and nursing homes and antipsychotic drug use in nursing homes.

Why this is important: The witness panel provided personal anecdotes and noted key concerns, including the abuse and neglect in care residences, the impending lack of money for those that need care in the near future, malnutrition of the elderly and support for caregivers, who need leave from work or even recognition on electronic health records. There was also discussion of expanding funds to community groups who help as caregivers, and inspiration from states like Washington that have created long-term care insurance plans that will distribute $36,500 per person in lifetime benefits, starting in 2025.

Find more details on the hearing here.

Read more on healthcare policy on the McGuireWoods Consulting website.