Press Releases
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to immediately pass bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides health care coverage for 128,000 children in Virginia, by including it in any upcoming government funding legislation. The CHIP program is set to run out of funding on January 31st if Congress fails to reauthorize the program, and if no action is taken, Governor Terry McAuliffe and the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services will be forced to notify families in the coming days of their impending loss of health care coverage. This is the second letter to McConnell from Warner and Kaine urging passage of CHIP.
“We write again to emphasize our support for the prompt reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). We ask that you include bipartisan legislation reauthorizing CHIP in any upcoming funding legislation. Prompt reauthorization of this program is necessary to protect the health of thousands of Virginia children and families,” Sens. Warner and Kaine told Leader McConnell in a letter sent today.
Previously, Sens. Warner and Kaine wrote to Leader McConnell in October, asking to expedite a vote on the CHIP reauthorization. The Senators have yet to receive a response to the earlier letter.
“On September 18th, Senators Hatch and Wyden introduced the Keeping Kids Insurance Dependable and Secure (KIDS) Act. This bill represents a bipartisan compromise that will extend CHIP for five years. We wrote you on October 26, 2017, after you had failed to schedule a vote for three weeks, requesting bipartisan legislation reauthorizing CHIP be brought to the floor as soon as possible. It has been more than nine weeks since funding for this essential program expired,” wrote the Senators today.
Added the Senators, “It is imperative that Congress act quickly to end the uncertainty around health care coverage for thousands of Virginia children. The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services is preparing to notify families of the impending loss of coverage. As such, we request that a full CHIP reauthorization be included in the next available legislative vehicle, so we can prevent letters from going out in Virginia that will unnecessarily frighten parents whose children are in CHIP. On January 31, 2018, Virginia will have insufficient funds to continue the program, and thousands of children in our state would be at risk of losing health care coverage. We can, and must, put an end to this uncertainty.”
View full text of the letter below and PDF can be found here.
Dear Leader McConnell,
We write again to emphasize our support for the prompt reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). We ask that you include bipartisan legislation reauthorizing CHIP in any upcoming funding legislation. Prompt reauthorization of this program is necessary to protect the health of thousands of Virginia children and families.
CHIP has been essential to guaranteeing that the children in our state can access health coverage. In FY 2017, Virginia received $285.9 million from CHIP. Between Virginia’s separate CHIP program, the Family Access to Medical Insurance Security, and CHIP-funded Medicaid, our state provides coverage for nearly 128,000 children. This includes 66,000 children on CHIP alone. This coverage includes doctor visits, hospital care, prescription medicines, eyeglasses, immunizations, and regular check-ups for kids under 18 years old with minimal cost sharing and without premiums. Since 2009, dental coverage has also been included in the program.
On September 18th, Senators Hatch and Wyden introduced the Keeping Kids Insurance Dependable and Secure (KIDS) Act. This bill represents a bipartisan compromise that will extend CHIP for five years. We wrote you on October 26, 2017, after you had failed to schedule a vote for three weeks, requesting bipartisan legislation reauthorizing CHIP be brought to the floor as soon as possible. It has been more than nine weeks since funding for this essential program expired.
It is imperative that Congress act quickly to end the uncertainty around health care coverage for thousands of Virginia children. The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services is preparing to notify families of the impending loss of coverage. As such, we request that a full CHIP reauthorization be included in the next available legislative vehicle, so we can prevent letters from going out in Virginia that will unnecessarily frighten parents whose children are in CHIP. On January 31, 2018, Virginia will have insufficient funds to continue the program, and thousands of children in our state would be at risk of losing health care coverage. We can, and must, put an end to this uncertainty.
We remain committed to urging you to bring the KIDS Act to the floor quickly and include offsets acceptable to both sides. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, bipartisan members of the Virginia delegation led by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and Congressman Tom Garrett (VA-5) sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Acting Secretary Eric Hargan asking him to extend the open enrollment period for consumers buying health insurance through the Affordable Care Act individual market in light of premium increases in Charlottesville and across Virginia. Earlier this year, the Trump Administration announced that the open enrollment period would be cut in half. Last week, Kaine, Warner and Garrett met with families from Charlottesville facing large premiums increases who expressed support for an extended open enrollment period. Last month, a Kaiser Family Foundation review found that Albermarle County will have the largest increase in premiums in the country.
“We write to ask that you extend the open enrollment period for consumers seeking health insurance through the individual Marketplaces until January 31, 2018. This extension will allow consumers to take into account the effects of any possible market stabilization legislation on their premiums before making any coverage decisions for themselves and their families,” the letter said.
The delegation highlighted other factors causing instability in the marketplace that have added to the premium increases and pain felt by Virginia families. A longer open enrollment period would give Congress the necessary time to pass bipartisan market stabilization measures. These proposals could help reduce the cost of insurance by impacting the medical loss ratio calculation from insurers at the end of the year or including provisions for potential rebates. These bills, however, would not change base premium rates.
“There are multiple bipartisan legislative proposals meant to address these issues, along with several that have yet to be introduced. The shortened open enrollment period means it is unlikely these proposals will be taken into consideration before enrollment closes on December 15th. Families deserve to know how much these programs will affect their premiums before they decide which insurance policy to purchase. Lowered premiums through rebates could encourage more individuals to purchase insurance or select a more comprehensive plan,” the letter continued.
Warner and Kaine also mentioned that a shortened open enrollment period limits the amount of information many individuals set to be automatically reenrolled in their current plans have.
The delegation concluded, “An extended enrollment period will allow these families to take these factors into consideration as they make decisions on which coverage to select for themselves and their families.”
Virginia Delegation members signing the letter also include U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott (VA-3), A. Donald McEachin (VA-4), Don Beyer (VA-8), Barbara Comstock (VA-10), and Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11).
The full text of the letter appears below.
Dear Acting Secretary Hargan:
We write to ask that you extend the open enrollment period for consumers seeking health insurance through the individual Marketplaces until January 31, 2018. This extension will allow consumers to take into account the effects of any possible market stabilization legislation on their premiums before making any coverage decisions for themselves and their families.
Earlier this year your department announced that the open enrollment period would be from November 1st to December 15th. This window is significantly shorter than those in the past and comes at a time when many consumers across the country face substantial premium increases and a reduced number of choices for coverage. There is unprecedented volatility in the market stemming in part to substantial changes involving the Cost Sharing Reduction (CSR) payments to insurers and now a possible repeal of the individual mandate.
Dramatic premium increases are causing overwhelming financial distress for our constituents. According to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, residents of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia are facing the largest premium increases in the country. Families who depend on the Affordable Care Act for their coverage will, in some cases, have their premiums triple next year.
Health insurance plans that were affordable just last year are now out of reach for those middle income families who are unable to rely on subsidies.
There are multiple bipartisan legislative proposals meant to address these issues, along with several that have yet to be introduced. The shortened open enrollment period means it is unlikely these proposals will be taken into consideration before enrollment closes on December 15th. Families deserve to know how much these programs will affect their premiums before they decide which insurance policy to purchase. Lowered premiums through rebates could encourage more individuals to purchase insurance or select a more comprehensive plan.
The shortened enrollment period precludes many individuals currently set to be automatically reenrolled in their current plans on December 16th from making informed decisions in a changing marketplace. Given the ongoing volatility in the market, many of these individuals could be eligible for more comprehensive plans at the same or lower prices. An extended enrollment period will allow these families to take these factors into consideration as they make decisions on which coverage to select for themselves and their families.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell asking him to bring legislation that would reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to the floor for a vote as soon as possible. CHIP, which covers 66,000 children and 1,100 pregnant women in Virginia alone, is set to run out of funding on January 31 if Congress fails to reauthorize the program. Families in Virginia rely on CHIP to cover doctor visits, hospital care, prescription medicines, eyeglasses, immunizations, and regular check-ups for kids up to 19 years old with minimal cost sharing and without premiums. CHIP expired on September 30, and despite bipartisan work by the Senate Finance Committee, the reauthorization bill has not been brought up for a vote.
“We write to emphasize the importance of a prompt reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for the state of Virginia,” the Senators said. “We ask that you bring bipartisan legislation reauthorizing this important program to the floor as soon as possible. CHIP has been very important to protecting the health care of children in our state.”
The Senators stressed that the uncertainty around funding the program has put strain on the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, which is preparing to notify families of the impending loss of coverage. They also voiced strong support for the hard work that has gone into a bipartisan compromise offered by Senators Hatch and Wyden.
“This bill represents a bipartisan compromise that will extend CHIP for five years, giving states sufficient time to plan their budgets and make sure families do not face uncertainty related to their health care coverage. We urge you to bring a bill to the floor quickly that includes pay-fors that are acceptable to both sides. It is imperative that Congress act quickly to end the uncertainty around health care coverage for thousands of Virginia children,” the Senators concluded.
View full text of the letter below and PDF can be found HERE:
Dear Leader McConnell,
We write to emphasize the importance of a prompt reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for the state of Virginia. We ask that you bring bipartisan legislation reauthorizing this important program to the floor as soon as possible.
CHIP has been very important to protecting the health care of children in our state. In FY 2016, Virginia received $263.9 million from CHIP. Between Virginia’s separate CHIP program, the Family Access to Medical Insurance Security, and CHIP-funded Medicaid, our state provides coverage for nearly 193,000 children. This coverage includes doctor visits, hospital care, prescription medicines, eyeglasses, immunizations, and regular check-ups for kids under 19 years old with minimal cost sharing and without premiums. Since 2009, dental coverage has also been included in the program.
The uncertainty surrounding CHIP has already started to have an impact on our constituents. According to the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, the state will be forced to send letters on December 1, 2017 notifying families of impending loss of coverage, causing confusion and great concern for families who rely on CHIP for their children’s medical coverage. Enrollment will be frozen on January 31, and by the end of January, Virginia will have insufficient funds to continue the program. Making matters worse, our state legislature does not come back into session until January, and will not have time to find solutions to avoid major disruptions to these kids’ health care.
There has always been a bipartisan consensus on the importance of reauthorizing CHIP, and this year is no different. On September 18th, Senators Hatch and Wyden introduced the Keeping Kids Insurance Dependable and Secure Act. This bill represents a bipartisan compromise that will extend CHIP for five years, giving states sufficient time to plan their budgets and make sure families do not face uncertainty related to their health care coverage. We urge you to bring a bill to the floor quickly that includes pay-fors that are acceptable to both sides. It is imperative that Congress act quickly to end the uncertainty around health care coverage for thousands of Virginia children. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
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WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined 30 of their Senate colleagues in writing to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) requesting information on the impact of the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act highlighted in a recent report from the Washington Post and “60 Minutes.” The Senators are working with the agencies to ensure they have the tools they need to fight the addiction epidemic.
“In light of these reports and as Congress evaluates this law taking into account the nation’s addiction epidemic, it is critical that we have all the information necessary to ensure the federal government is doing everything it can to help support our states and local communities in our collective fight against this epidemic,” wrote the Senators in the letter. “We want to ensure the Drug Enforcement Administration and other related agencies have all of the tools necessary to fight this epidemic.”
Current law requires the DEA Administrator to submit a report to Congress identifying any residual issues with diversion efforts, including information on whether coordination between the industry and law enforcement has helped with diversion. This report is past-due and the Senators want HHS and the DEA to provide the information so they can determine how the best action to take to ensure the DEA has the tools it needs to fight the opioid epidemic.
Full text of the letter is available below and here.
Acting Secretary Eric Hargan
United States Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20201
Acting Administrator Robert Patterson
United States Drug Enforcement Administration
8701 Morrissette Dr.
Springfield, VA 22152
Dear Acting Secretary Hargan and Acting Administrator Patterson:
This weekend’s Washington Post article entitled “The Drug Industry’s Triumph Over the DEA” and CBS’s related 60 Minutes expose on the opioid epidemic have raised significant questions regarding the impact of the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act (P.L. 114-145), which was signed into law in April of 2016. As members of Congress from states severely affected by the nation’s addiction epidemic, we are concerned by these recent news reports and the issues they raise, and we write to request that you immediately provide Congress with an update on the law’s impact on the war against addiction.
In light of these reports and as Congress evaluates this law taking into account the nation’s addiction epidemic, it is critical that we have all the information necessary to ensure the federal government is doing everything it can to help support our states and local communities in our collective fight against this epidemic. We want to ensure the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other related agencies have all of the tools necessary to fight this epidemic, which is why we also request that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in coordination with DEA, immediately provide Congress with a status update on the Report to Congress required under Section 3 of the law.
As you are aware, Section 3 of P.L. 114-145 requires the Secretary of HHS, in coordination with the DEA Administrator and in consultation with other relevant executive offices, to submit a report to Congress identifying any residual issues with diversion of controlled substances. The law also requires the Administration’s Report to Congress to include a section detailing “how collaboration between Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and the pharmaceutical industry can benefit patients and prevent diversion and abuse of controlled substances,” as well as a section with suggested “steps to improve reporting requirements so that the public and Congress have more information regarding prescription opioids.”
This report was due to Congress on April 16, 2017. As of October 16, 2017 – exactly 6 months past the deadline for this information – no such report has been submitted to the relevant congressional committees. As Congress revisits the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act and considers whether the DEA has all of the tools it needs to play an effective role in combatting this public health emergency, it is critical that we have the information necessary to evaluate this law.
We urge HHS to act swiftly to provide the relevant committees with an update on the impact of P.L. 114-145 and a report on any challenges in diversion control that may have been exacerbated by the law’s passage by no later than October 30, 2017, as well as a complete Report to Congress as laid out in Section 3 of the law, as soon as possible.
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WASHINGTON— U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Finance and Budget Committees, today responded to the announcement by President Trump that he will unilaterally cut off the Cost-Sharing Reduction (CSR) payments required under the Affordable Care Act, thereby increasing Americans’ health premiums by 20 percent or more.
“The Trump Administration is determined to inject chaos and confusion through its unilateral efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act, even though these actions will again raise costs and limit healthcare choices for working families. There is no debate about the results of President Trump’s irresponsible actions in the past 24 hours. By taking a wrecking ball to the ACA, the Trump Administration has itself created additional hardship and anxiety for many Virginia families, and undermines real progress on the Senate’s bipartisan efforts to bring stability to the individual health care marketplace,” said Sen. Warner.
Fifty-six percent of Virginians who buy insurance in the ACA marketplace rely on cost-sharing reductions to keep their health care costs affordable. In fact, in some Virginia localities—including Lee, Scott, Wise, Halifax, Sussex, Accomack, Page, Madison, Rappahannock, and Richmond counties—approximately 100% of marketplace enrollees receive some form of cost sharing reduction.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), eliminating the CSRs will raise ACA premiums for next year by an estimated 20 percent as insurers raise prices to make up for the lost payments. It’s also expected that the number of uninsured Americans would rise by 1 million in 2018, relative to current law, and by 2020, premiums are expected to increase by 25 percent. Ending the payments is also expected to cost the government an additional $194 billion over the next decade, compared to current law.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced $500,000 in federal funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens, Inc., in partnership with the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors, to build a community service and senior facility at the Falls Mills Elementary School site.
“We are pleased to announce this important investment that will help build a facility to support seniors in Southwest Virginia,” the Senators said. “This facility will provide care for the elderly in Tazewell and lessen the burden on their families who care for them.”
The community service and senior facility will provide adult day care, serve nutritional meals to meet the needs of seniors, provide assistance with supplemental nutrition assistance program applications, and help with health care enrollment and options counseling.
Since its inception in 1965, ARC has generated over 300,000 jobs and $10 billion for the 25 million Americans living in Appalachia. ARC has provided funding and support for job-creating community projects across the 13 Appalachian states, producing an average of $204 million in annual earnings for a region often challenged by economic underdevelopment. President Trump’s budget proposes eliminating the program entirely.
In June, Warner and Kaine joined a group of six other U.S. Senators urging Senate appropriators to fully fund the Appalachian Regional Commission in 2018 at $152 million, and reject the Trump Administration’s proposal to end the state-federal partnership.
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WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced the Protecting Access to Diabetes Supplies Act of 2017 to strengthen patient protections included in the Medicare National Mail Order program for Diabetic Testing Supplies (DTS). The legislation reinforces existing protections that ensure Medicare beneficiaries are able to continue accessing familiar diabetes supplies and test systems through DTS.
The legislation directs the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish new surveillance programs and requirements for mail order suppliers to better guard consumer access.
“We want to ensure seniors can access the life-saving supplies and technologies that work best for them,” said Sen. Warner. “This bill will allow Medicare to continue employing innovative, cost-saving payment models while also guaranteeing patients’ access to necessary medical supplies. This legislation builds on existing consumer protections and aims to strengthen these safeguards in a pointed and data-driven manner.”
“About a quarter of all Medicare beneficiaries suffer from diabetes, and we should be finding ways to ensure they are able to use medical supplies that provide life-saving results,” said Sen. Scott. “I am glad to work with my colleague Senator Warner on this bipartisan, no-cost legislation to help make sure Medicare beneficiaries living with diabetes have the ability to access state-of-the-art diabetes testing supplies.”
Under the Medicare Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) for Durable Medical Equipment and Supplies, suppliers are paid the same amount by Medicare for DTS regardless of what they supply to a beneficiary. To ensure that beneficiaries continue to have access to familiar test systems, Congress enacted the 50 Percent Rule, which required that mail order suppliers make available at least 50 percent of all types of diabetes test supplies on the market before implementation of the CBP. However, feedback data has indicated these protections may not be adequate.
This legislation seeks to strengthen the 50 Percent Rule protection by establishing a surveillance program and additional safeguards to ensure suppliers are compliant. CMS also established the Anti-Switching Rule to protect beneficiary and physician choice of glucose meters. This rule requires suppliers to furnish the test system requested by the beneficiary, and prohibits suppliers from influencing beneficiaries to switch their current glucose monitor and testing supplies brand to another brand. Recent reports show this rule may not be adequately protecting beneficiaries. This legislation would strengthen the Anti-Switching Rule by both codifying the rule and requiring suppliers to provide beneficiaries with an explanation of the beneficiary’s rights.
The Protecting Access to Diabetes Supplies Act of 2017 has been endorsed by The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American Association of Diabetes Educators.
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Warner, Portman Introduce Legislation to Streamline Employer Reporting Requirements Under Obamacare
Oct 03 2017
WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced the bipartisan Commonsense Reporting Act of 2017 to streamline and modernize employer reporting requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). This legislation would strike a balance between ensuring the Treasury Department has the necessary data to determine availability of affordable coverage, while cutting down on unnecessary paperwork and administrative costs for businesses.
The ACA requires employers and insurers to report information about health insurance coverage to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at the end of the tax year. The legislation directs the Treasury Department to implement an alternative, prospective reporting system that is more workable and less burdensome for employers than current regulations.
“This legislation couples important data collection with the flexibility and efficiency employers need to continue implementing the law,” said Sen. Warner. “It’s time to find common ground with serious legislative efforts that provide more affordable, accessible, and quality health care to all Americans, regardless of where they purchase their coverage. Americans deserve better – hopefully this is the first step of many bipartisan solutions.”
“I have heard from hundreds of employers in Ohio that have spent hundreds of administrative hours attempting to comply with the reporting requirements in the Affordable Care Act. This added time and resources has not improved the quality of health insurance employers offered but only further discouraged employers from offering health insurance and hiring more workers. This bipartisan bill will help streamline the reporting process by allowing employers to report information to the IRS prospectively, easing the burden for employers and employees,” said Sen. Portman.
The Commonsense Reporting Act streamlines this process by establishing a voluntarily system which would allow employers to report pertinent information before open enrollment begins, to minimize the administrative burden at the back-end, and limit the collection of unneeded information.
The Commonsense Reporting Act has been endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, America’s Health Insurance Plans, Retail Industry Leaders Association, American Hotel and Lodging Association, American Rental Association, American Staffing Association, National Association of Convenience Stores, National Association of Health Underwriters, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, National Business Group on Health, National Federation of Independent Business, National Grocers Association, National Restaurant Association, National Retail Federation, NATSO for America’s Truck and Travel Stops.
A summary of this legislation can be found here. The full text is also available here.
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation introduced by Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, to improve health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries living with chronic conditions.
“There are a number of impressive innovations in the public and private sector to deliver better care to patients with multiple chronic conditions,” said Sen. Warner. “This Chronic Care Working Group deliberately worked with patients, advocacy groups, innovators, and other health care stakeholders to put together a set of bipartisan, cost-effective, and evidence-based policies that will better facilitate the delivery of high-quality and affordable care for our Medicare population. This bill takes the necessary steps to modernize Medicare to better meet the needs of today’s seniors and I am encouraged to see it move forward.”
The Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act would:
- Permanently reauthorize and strengthen Medicare Advantage Special Needs plans to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions or other significant health needs have continued access to quality care that is tailored to their personal needs;
- Expand telehealth services offered through different providers of care that will benefit seniors in rural areas and increase access to primary care services and telestroke care; and
- Extend the proven “independence at home” model that allows seniors to receive care from primary care teams. This provision aims to decrease hospital readmissions and to allow seniors with multiple chronic conditions to receive care in their own home.
Announced at a May 2015 hearing on chronic care, the Finance Committee formed the bipartisan Chronic Care Working Group led by Warner and Isakson to develop policy ideas to address Medicare spending on treating multiple chronic illnesses.
The CHRONIC Care Act was introduced in the last Congress and reintroduced earlier this year by Sen. Warner and Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), along with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR). In May, the bill passed unanimously out of the Senate Finance Committee.
A section-by-section summary of the CHRONIC Care Act of 2017 can be found here. A one-page summary of the CHRONIC Care Act of 2017 can be found here. The legislative text of theCHRONIC Care Act of 2017 can be found here.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Finance and Budget Committees, released the following statement today on Senate Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act:
“This evening, the CBO released a score concluding millions of Americans would lose healthcare under this latest partisan repeal plan. Just hours before, S&P released a report finding that the Graham-Cassidy bill would cost our country about 580,000 jobs and $240 billion in lost economic activity over the next decade. There’s a reason why this bill is opposed by non-partisan groups from every sector of the health industry, including the American Medical Association, health insurers, hospitals, patients, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association. With even the center-right think tank AEI panning both this bill and the process under which it is being rammed through Congress, it is time for the Senate to put this bill aside and recognize that we must work in a bipartisan way to stabilize the health insurance markets and put in place permanent fixes to lower costs and expand health care options for Americans. I stand ready and willing to work with any Senator, Republican or Democrat, who seriously shares that goal.”
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Statement of U.S. Sens. Warner & Kaine On Anthem’s Decision to Re-enter Certain Va. Health Care Markets
Sep 15 2017
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued this joint statement following an announcement by Anthem that it will re-enter 63 counties or cities in Virginia where consumers otherwise would be left without any insurance options in the 2018 Affordable Care Act exchanges. Both senators were engaged in efforts to resolve this challenge prior to today’s deadline for notifying the Bureau of Insurance at the State Corporation Commission.
“We are glad Anthem is re-entering the Virginia individual health care exchange to provide thousands of Virginia consumers with coverage in places where they might have had none. This is welcome news for Virginians in rural communities, who have been hit particularly hard by health care uncertainty. It's time for the Trump Administration to stop their efforts to sabotage and destabilize the markets, which resulted in fewer choices and higher premiums for 2018. We will continue to work in Congress with colleagues regardless of party to fix the existing Affordable Care Act to ensure a stable market, lower costs, and improve coverage.”
The Senate HELP Committee has been holding bipartisan hearings this month on measures to stabilize the health insurance market, including proposals like Kaine’s bill to help stabilize the individual health care marketplace and lower premiums through reinsurance. On Thursday, he called on insurers like Anthem to stop depriving people in rural Virginia of opportunities by limiting coverage options or pulling out of the individual markets. State health insurance commissioners and health care experts have expressed support for reinsurance as a way to increase certainty in the marketplace.
Senator Warner sits on the Senate Finance Committee, which is holding hearings on expanding consumer options and making health care coverage more affordable for American families. Senator Warner has offered several commonsense proposals to increase competition in the health care marketplace, lower health care costs, and make the Affordable Care Act work better for more Virginians.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement today on the uncertainty the Trump Administration has caused in the health insurance market, resulting in today’s announcement that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield will leave the Virginia marketplace in 2018:
“As a result of the uncertainty, mixed signals and deliberate sabotage from the Trump Administration, some insurers will raise premiums and scale back their health insurance offerings in the individual market, which serves more than 400,000 people in Virginia. It is unfortunate that others, such as Anthem, are choosing to leave the marketplace altogether.
“President Trump has been playing politics with health care for months now, and unfortunately, Virginians will be the ones paying the price. A report issued this week by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation found that the Administration’s actions will lead to double-digit premium increases and more insurers withdrawing from the marketplaces. President Trump has said that he wants Obamacare to ‘implode,’ and his Administration is deliberately destabilizing the health insurance marketplace in order to achieve that goal.
“Insurers still have no idea whether the Administration plans to follow through on its threats to withhold cost-sharing reduction payments. In addition, there are troubling reports about the Trump Administration’s deliberate efforts to undermine the upcoming open enrollment period, the first under the Trump presidency.
“Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have already begun working in a bipartisan way to explore ways we can improve the health care system and provide additional stability to the health care marketplaces. President Trump should stop using the health coverage of millions of Americans as political leverage, and demonstrate leadership by working with responsible members of both parties to improve the Affordable Care Act.”
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Warner, Isakson Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Preserve Patient Access To Home Infusion Services
Bill would create a temporary transitional payment for home infusion services
Aug 03 2017
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), members of the Senate Finance Committee, today introduced bipartisan legislation to create a temporary transitional reimbursement structure for Medicare home infusion services.
A version of legislation introduced by Sens. Warner and Isakson last Congress to restructure the way Medicare beneficiaries who need intravenous medication receive their infusion treatments from the comfort of their home was included in the landmark 21st Century Cures Act last year. However, the Cures bill did not properly align the change in payments with the new benefit, leading to a four-year gap during which patients would have challenges securing these life-saving treatments. This legislation ensures that patients receiving home infusion treatments maintain their access to these services until policies from the 21st Century Cures Act are implemented in 2021.
“Home infusion is a safe and effective alternative to inpatient care for many patients,” said Sen. Warner. “This bill expands on the progress made on 21st Century Cures by creating a transitional payment system that will allow Medicare to continue paying accurately for the drugs, while also protecting patients’ access to important services. This commonsense fix will help the Medicare program provide high-quality, lower-cost care, benefiting both patients and taxpayers.”
“Infusion therapy delivered in the home setting is the most desirable, convenient and by far the most cost-effective. We made important progress for modern medicine in the 21st Century Cures Act, and the home infusion therapy legislation that Senator Warner and I included in that bill makes a real difference for patients who need safe and effective treatments,” said Sen. Isakson. “Home infusion technology is a tremendous contribution to quality health care, and this legislation builds on the Cures Act to help ensure home infusion remains accessible.”
The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), David Perdue (R-GA), Rob Portman (R-OH), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
“This bill builds upon previous legislation so Medicare beneficiaries can receive infusion treatments at home,” Sen. Grassley said. “This is an option that Medicare beneficiaries sought, and it’s a common sense, cost-effective way to provide care. The private sector recognized this long ago. Medicare should continue to reflect the modern practice of medicine and offer the best way of meeting a medical need at the lowest cost.”
The Medicare Home Infusion Therapy Access Act of 2017 would create a transitional reimbursement for Medicare home infusion services. Starting in January 2017, the 21st Century Cures Act changed the payment for home infusion drugs, aligning them with payments for other drugs paid underMedicare’s Part B benefit. The 21st Century Cures Act also created a new reimbursement structure for the professional services associated with home infusion, which is set to take effect in 2021. The four-year gap between the January 2017 drug payment change and the implementation of the infusion services payment in 2021 may threaten the accessibility of home-infusion therapy. This bill would help smooth the transition to more accurate payments for home infusions drugs while also protecting patients’ access to these medications until the new home infusion benefit is implemented in 2021.
Sens. Warner, Isakson, Roberts, Grassley, Cardin, Brown, Portman, and Bennet are all members of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare.
The legislation is supported by: Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), American Association of Heart Failure Nurses, American Association for Homecare, American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), Amerita, Inc., American Association for Homecare, Appalachian Home Infusion, ARJ Infusion Services, Best Option Healthcare PR, Inc., Big Sky IV Care, BioScrip, BJC Home Care Services Pharmacy, Brooks Home I.V., Inc., CarePro Health Services, CGH Medical Center, Chartwell Midwest Wisconsin, LLC, Chartwell Pennsylvania, LP, Choice CriticalCare Inc., Consortium of Clinical Immunologists (CIIC), Coram, CVS Specialty Infusion, Services, Druid City Vital Care, EMED Technologies, EMZA USA LLC & DeliverIt Pharmacy Inc., Fairview Health Services, Gates Healthcare Associates, Inc., Grifols, Hobbs Pharmacy, Home Health United Xtra Care Pharmacy, Home Parenteral Services, Horizon Healthcare Services, ICU Medical Inc., Infusion Solutions, Inc., Innovatix, INS, Intra Pump Infusion Systems, Intramed Plus, IV Solutions, LLC, John Hopkins Care Group, Kaup Pharmacy, Inc., Lakeland Home, Infusion, Liberty Medical Specialties, Inc., Medical Accounts Receivable Solutions, Inc. (MARs), Medical Alternatives, MK Infusion Pharmacy, LLC., MSD, Nation's Home Infusion, NuCara IV Services, One Source Homecare Services, OptiMed Infusion Services, Option Care, OptionOne Pharmacy, Paragon Healthcare Inc., Pediatric Home Service, Pharmacare Health Specialists, PharmaScript Inc., Preferred Homecare, Premier Infusion Care, Premier Nursing Group, LLC, Premier Point Home Health, Inc., PromptCare Home Infusion, LLC, Redline Specialty Pharmacy, SBH Medical, Ltd., Sentara Home Infusion Pharmacy, Sentara HealthCare, Simfarose Pharmaceutical Specialty, Smiths Medical, Soleo Health, Spectrum Infusion, Inc., TANYR Healthcare, The Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF), The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA), Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, UnityPoint at Home, University of Iowa Community HomeCare, VGM Group Inc., Vital Care, Inc., and the VNA Home Infusion Therapy Pharmacy.
Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Pat Tiberi (R-OH) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) and has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means (H.R. 3163). The full text of the legislation is availablehere.
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WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) today introduced legislation to streamline the accreditation process for dialysis facilities to improve access for Medicare patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
“Dialysis facilities provide life-saving treatments for ESRD patients,” said Roberts. “However, these facilities do not have the same accreditation process to serve Medicare patients as other care facilities, resulting in less access to care. Patients with ESRD typically visit these facilities several times a week to receive this critical treatment, but often have to travel extensive distances, particularly in rural areas. Our bill would make it easier for facilities to be approved under Medicare so patients have more convenient, accessible options for treatment.”
“This bipartisan legislation will streamline the Medicare accreditation process to allow dialysis clinics to more easily serve the patients that depend on them for life-saving care,” said Warner. “It will allow dialysis care facilities to utilize the same accreditation processes available to other Medicare providers to avoid unnecessary delays while still guaranteeing quality care.”
The bipartisan Dialysis Access Improvement Act, S. 1729, would allow dialysis providers to seek outside accreditation from organizations approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in the Medicare program. Currently, other health care providers have the option of using an outside agency to survey and accredit their facility for Medicare participation. However, dialysis facilities do not have that option and have to wait months, or even years, to receive accreditation to bill Medicare for ESRD services. This bill will allow the accreditation process to keep pace with new facility openings.
The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).
Roberts and Warner are both members of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare.
Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.) and John Lewis (D-Ga.) and passed the House unanimously as part of a broader Medicare package (H.R. 3178). It has the support of Kidney Care Council.
The full text of the legislation is available here.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark Warner, a member of the Senate Budget, Finance and Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committees, and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Budget and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committees, joined U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and 29 of their colleagues to introduce legislation to lower prescription drug costs. This bill would allow for Medicare to negotiate the best possible price of prescription drugs to cut costs for nearly 41 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D. Current law only allows for bargaining by pharmaceutical companies and bans Medicare from doing so.
The legislation would permit the Secretary of Health and Human Services to directly negotiate with drug companies for price discounts for the Medicare Prescription Drug Program, eliminating the “non-interference” clause that expressly bans Medicare from negotiating for the best possible prices. By harnessing the bargaining power of nearly 41 million seniors, Medicare could negotiate discounts and help drive down costs of prescription drugs.
“We are the only major government in the world that does not leverage its purchasing power to negotiate prescription drug prices. This bill will allow Medicare to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies like other countries already do, helping lower drug prices across the entire healthcare system,” said Sen. Warner. “This commonsense measure is only one piece to a comprehensive approach we must take to lower prescription drug costs for seniors and make prescription drugs more affordable for all Americans.”
“The bill seeks to bring down the rising costs of prescription drugs for patients by letting Medicare negotiate for the best price,” Kaine said. “This bill seeks to cut costs for nearly 41 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D, ensuring that our seniors don’t have to choose between prescription drugs they depend on and other essentials like food and housing.”
Warner and Kaine have been strong supporters of this policy change throughout their time in the Senate. In July, Sen. Warner urged the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to look into ways in which the private sector has successfully implemented outcome-based arrangements with drug manufacturers and provide this data to lawmakers so they can figure out ways to contain prescription drug costs. Kaine has co-sponsored earlier versions of this legislation in June 2013, January 2015, and January 2017 and sent a letter urging the incoming Trump administration to work with Congress to lower prescription drug prices.
Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Al Franken (D-MN), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Udall (D-NM), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are cosponsors of the legislation.
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