News

DelBene, Miller, Schrier Introduce Bill to Remove Financial Barriers for Living Organ Donors

Today, Congresswomen Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Carol Miller (WV-01), and Kim Schrier, MD (WA-08) introduced legislation to provide more support to living organ donors and address the increasingly high costs of donation. The Expanding Support for Living Donors Act would remove financial barriers that prevent many people fr...

DelBene, Colleagues Call on Trump to Prioritize Opening Japanese Markets to U.S. Potatoes

Today, Representative Suzan DelBene (WA-01) joined House and Senate colleagues in a letter asking President Trump to prioritize gaining market access for U.S. fresh potatoes during Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s upcoming visit to the United States. “U.S. potato growers produce the best potatoes in the world. ...

DelBene Leads Bipartisan Warning that NIH Council Vacancies Threaten Medical Research

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), André Carson (IN-07), and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) led a bipartisan letter along with 31 of their colleagues urging Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to fill vacant positions on National Institutes of Health (NIH) advisory councils, which are essent...

Everett Herald: As patients ‘get sicker while they wait,’ doctors fight insurance delays

When doctors diagnosed Robin Sparks with cancer two years ago, they needed to act fast. The hard lump on her neck was Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer that penetrates bone marrow and attacks the immune system. Sparks, of Marysville, spent weeks wading through tests and appointments to get her diagnosis. Th...

Axios: Prior auth has its moment (again)

A prior authorization overhaul for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries may have a stronger chance of passage in this Congress. That's because of an expected lower CBO score, a new rule on the issue, and renewed urgency in a post-Chevron environment. Why it matters: Medicare Advantage beneficiaries have faced delays and d...

Politico: Lawmakers play waiting game with CMS in bid to reform prior authorization

Doctors have long complained to Congress about the time-consuming paperwork and delayed care that comes when insurers fail to authorize costly procedures or treatments. Lawmakers are sympathetic, but their ability to act may hinge on an upcoming rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A bipartisan bil...

Trump’s War with Iran is Raising Gas Prices for Washington Families

Breaking Down Trump’s War with Iran

The True State of the Union