Health

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) introduced the Mental Health Telemedicine Expansion Act (H.R. 6781), legislation that would increase access to mental health services through telemedicine for Medicare beneficiaries. Currently, Medicare limits access to telemedicine to certain geographic regions with provider shortages. However, even patients who can use telemedicine are not permitted to do so from their home. Right now, Medicare requires the patient to be in a qualified “originating site” suc... Read more

Today, Rep. Suzan DelBene joined the YMCA of Greater Seattle to pass out lunches to children from low-income families as part of their Summer Meals Program. The event took place at Kingsgate Library in Kirkland. Every child in attendance received a meal, and accompanying parents were given a snack. “No child should be forced to skip meals or go to bed hungry just because school is not in session. While school breaks for summer, a child’s need for nutritional food does not. We need to ensure ever... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) hosted a press conference on women’s health and economic empowerment with Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington and Moms Rising to highlight how the constant attacks on women from President Trump and House Republicans are impacting American families. DelBene and her fellow speakers defended a woman’s right to choose and spoke passionately about equal pay for equal work, access to child care, paid family leave and fighting discrimination. “Women... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene sharply criticized a Republican-led bill that would take away premium tax credits from millions of hard-working, middle class Americans if their plan covers comprehensive women’s health, including abortion services. During a House Ways and Means Committee markup, DelBene offered an amendment to strike down language prohibiting premium tax credits for health plans that cover abortion services. Her amendment is in response to H.R. 6311, introduced by Rep. Peter R... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene held a discussion with Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler and constituents to talk about the impacts of the Republican sabotage of our nation’s health care system. Topics included the actions taken by the administration to that have increased premiums, the threats to people living with pre-existing conditions, the uncertainty in individual markets caused by the Trump administration, and the need to find solutions to rising costs. “From House Republicans’ shor... Read more

This week, the House of Representatives passed several bills to help address the opioid crisis, including two bipartisan bills introduced by Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) – the Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and Payment Act (H.R. 5273) and the Combatting Opioid Abuse for Care in Hospitals (COACH) Act (H.R. 5774). Both of these bills are included in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (H.R. 6) which is the House’s comprehensive opioid legislation which passed the House on... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) introduced the Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2018 (H.R. 5997), a bill that would guarantee Medicare beneficiaries access to cutting edge medical innovation. Her bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN), Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA). Currently, Medicare does not automatically cover the latest advances in medical technology. This is true eve... Read more

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) introduced H.R. 5723, the Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and Payment Act of 2018. This bipartisan legislation requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to evaluate and report on adverse incentives that lead to the over prescription of opioids and under-utilization of non-opioid alternatives for post-surgery recovery and the treatment of chronic pain. This legislation comes after the House Ways and Means Committee solicited informati... Read more

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) sent a bipartisan letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), urging the agency to continue fostering Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) participating in the beginning stage model. ACOs are a market-based solution where groups of physicians, hospitals, and other providers voluntarily collaborate to achieve enhanced quality of care, reduced costs and improved health outcomes. In the letter to CMS Administrator Se... Read more

Today, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a Chief Deputy Whip and the Ranking Democrat on the now-defunct Select Investigative Panel, led the Democratic Members of the Panel on a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar. In the letter, Reps. Schakowsky, Jerrold Nadler, Diana DeGette, Jackie Speier, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Suzan DelBene, expressed their serious concerns about the current Chief of Staff to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at HHS, Mr. March Bell. Mr. Bell served as the St... Read more