Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Bob Casey (D-PA) in sending a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra urging continued action to address the critical intravenous (IV) fluid shortage affecting hospitals across the nation. This shortage, caused by the temporary closure of Baxter International's manufacturing plant in North Carolina due to flooding from Hurricane Helene, has created significant challenges for health care providers in Virginia and across the country.

The senators’ letter comes in response to the production halt at Baxter International, the largest manufacturer of intravenous (IV) solutions in the United States, which produces nearly two-thirds of the IV fluids used in U.S. hospitals. While federal agencies—including the HHS, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)—work to increase supply from other manufacturers, allow temporary importation of products manufactured abroad, and provide guidance on compounded alternatives, hospitals across the country, including in Virginia, continue to face shortages and need clear communication to effectively plan for the months ahead. The letter emphasized that the federal response must especially prioritize providers whose patient communities will be most at risk in the face of continued shortages.

“The uncertainty created by reduced product deliveries has led to conservation policies in health facilities across our states. After orders were recently cancelled, some providers have reported having only single-digit days’ worth of product on hand, while others are utilizing over the-counter oral hydration solutions like Gatorade—and fear reduced allocations of those alternatives as well. While providers are seeing promising results from HHS’s actions so far, we must ensure this progress continues,” wrote the senators.

“As you take the necessary steps to increase production of IV products at alternative domestic sites, facilitate the expedited arrival of additional product from overseas, and review product shelf life to consider extensions, we ask you provide clear and continuous communication to health providers on their options and the path forward as communities recover from this storm and any impact that may stem from Hurricane Milton,” the senators concluded.

Read the full letter to Secretary Becerra here and below:

Dear Secretary Becerra:

We appreciate the Biden Administration’s efforts to swiftly respond to the catastrophic damage caused across the southeast by Hurricane Helene. As you continue this recovery work, on behalf of our constituents and the health care providers who serve them, we write to urge you to continue to work with hospital and health system partners to address disruptions in the intravenous (IV) solution supply chain resulting from the hurricane-induced closure of the Baxter International plant in North Cove, North Carolina.

As you know, Baxter is the largest manufacturer of IV solutions in the United States. Their facility in Western North Carolina produces nearly two-thirds of the IV solution used to provide health care nationwide. As you also know, to protect from stockpiling, Baxter has instituted limits on the amount of saline solution and dextrose product hospitals and health systems are currently able to order. We are encouraged by steps taken by your agency and other federal government agencies to move product more quickly, including rebuilding physical infrastructure, working with manufacturing partners to increase supply from other sites, and providing guidance on appropriate compounding.

However, the uncertainty created by reduced product deliveries has led to conservation policies in health facilities across our states. After orders were recently canceled, some providers have reported having only single-digit days’ worth of product on hand, while others are utilizing over-the-counter oral hydration solutions like Gatorade—and fear reduced allocations of those alternatives as well. While providers are seeing promising results from HHS’s actions so far, we must ensure this progress continues.

As you take the necessary steps to increase production of IV products at alternative domestic sites, facilitate the expedited arrival of additional product from overseas, and review product shelf life to consider extensions, we ask you provide clear and continuous communication to health providers on their options and the path forward as communities recover from this storm and any impact that may stem from Hurricane Milton. We also request intentional outreach to safety net, tribal, and rural providers, as well as those caring for vulnerable populations who may lack the resources to sustain prolonged shortages. Hospitals and health systems in our states are eager to work with you to protect patient care and welcome your outreach.

We look forward to working with you to ensure timely and robust communication to keep our communities healthy. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $11,692,000 in federal funding to protect young children and their families from hazardous lead poisoning in their homes. The sale of lead-based paint is banned in the United States, but many older homes still have the old paint on walls, which can become dangerous as it peels and chips. Young children are most susceptible to lead poisoning and can face long-term developmental delays if exposed. This funding, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program, will be used to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in Virginia’s older housing units.

“Lead poisoning can have negative long-term health impacts for those exposed,” the senators said. “This funding will help to protect children and families by identifying and mitigating the presence of dangerous lead-based paint.”

This funding is broken down as follows:

The Commonwealth of Virginia will receive $6,692,000 in funding to update older housing and improve community health. This funding will be distributed across Virginia;
The City of Roanoke will receive $5,000,000 in funding to update older housing and improve community health.

Sens. Warner and Kaine been vocal about the need for safe, affordable housing for Virginians. Earlier this year, the senators announced over $55 million in federal funding for improvements to affordable housing across the Commonwealth.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, both D-VA, announced $2,225,710 in federal funding for education programs based in Alexandria, Richmond, and Harrisonburg to train behavioral health professionals to address substance use disorders, students’ mental health, and racial disparities in access to mental health treatment. The funding is being allocated by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for which the senators have consistently supported robust and continued funding.

“Helping those who struggle with behavioral health needs starts with adequately funding programs to recruit, educate, and train the first responders and behavioral health professionals who will be on the front lines,” said the senators. “This over-$2.2 million in grant funding will help us do that, and we will continue to do all that we can to bring resources to Virginia to support the mental health of our communities.”

The funding will be allocated as follows:

$1,924,595 to the Alexandria-based Foundation for The Advancement of Human Systems via the Minority Fellowship Program to recruit, train and support master’s- and doctoral-level students in behavioral health care professions to address services disparities for racial and ethnic minority populations.
$199,939 to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond to recruit and train first responders in rural areas on how to provide trauma-informed, recovery-based care for people with substance use disorders (SUD), and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders (COD), in emergency situations.
$101,716 to Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg to strengthen mental health services for college students, including increasing protective factors that promote mental health, as well as reducing risk factors for suicide.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long advocated for federally-funded resources for Virginians who struggle with mental and behavioral health issues. In September 2024, Warner and Kaine announced $3.5 million in federal funding to expand mental health and substance abuse disorder services at community health centers. In August 2023, Warner and Kaine announced $1.4 million in federal funding for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to expand access to mental health care in Virginia. In December 2022, Warner and Kaine announced $1 million in federal funding from SAMHSA to expand the 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline in Virginia.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, (both D-VA) joined a group of Senate colleagues to introduce the Health Care Affordability Act, legislation to lower health care costs for millions of Americans and make the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs) for Health Insurance Marketplace coverage permanent. PTCs were previously enhanced under the Inflation Reduction Act but are set to expire at the end of 2025, increasing health insurance costs for over 20 million Americans. The Health Care Affordability Act would make the enhanced PTCs permanent, ensuring that these Americans don’t face sudden increases and also protecting another 3 million Americans' access to care.

“All Virginians should have access to affordable health care, no matter their financial situation, and the ACA premium tax credits play a key role in this,” said the Senators. “The Health Care Affordability Act will ensure over 20 million Americans don’t face unfair cost increases and help more Virginians access care they can afford—it’s a win-win.”

Warner and Kaine have long fought to lower health care costs and increase accessibility for all Americans, and earlier this month, the senators wrote to leadership stressing the importance of passing legislation to address this issue. Kaine’s Medicare-X Choice Act includes a provision to make the enhanced premium tax credits permanent. The senators voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, groundbreaking legislation that passed in the Senate by one vote and instituted a cap on prescription drug costs for seniors on Medicare, lowered premiums for more than 500,000 Virginians, and capped insulin costs at $35 a month. Kaine also introduced the Improving Health Insurance Affordability Act last year, which would lower health care costs and expand access to insurance for millions of Americans.

In addition to Warner and Kaine, the bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), John Tester (D-MT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Gary Peters (D-MI), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), George Helmy (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

Full text of the bill is available here.

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WASHINGTON — This week, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease, applauded House passage of two bipartisan bills he introduced that would cement and build on the important progress that has been made to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease. The National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA) Reauthorization Act and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (AAIA) now head to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

Nearly seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s costs our nation an astonishing $360 billion per year, including $231 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid. If we continue along this trajectory, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s may grow to a projected 12.7 million and approach $1 trillion in annual costs by 2050. Family caregivers provide 18 billion hours of unpaid care for loved ones with dementia annually, valued at nearly $347 billion.

“I know from firsthand experience what a devastating illness Alzheimer’s disease is, as I watched my mother battle with it for a decade before her passing,” Sen. Warner said. “While we’ve made great strides in research, there is still so much work to be done to find effective ways to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s. On behalf of the millions of American families who have been touched by Alzheimer’s, I’m glad to see these two bills head to the president’s desk to be signed into law.”

The NAPA Reauthorization Act would:

Reauthorize NAPA through 2035 and modernize the legislation to reflect strides that have been made to understand the disease, such as including a new focus on promoting healthy aging and reducing risk factors; and
Update language in recognition of the need to include underserved populations, including individuals with Down syndrome, who are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s as they age.

The Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act would:

Continue through 2035 a requirement that the Director of the National Institutes of Health submit an annual budget to Congress estimating the funding necessary to fully implement NAPA’s research goals. Only two other areas of biomedical research – cancer and HIV/AIDS – have been the subject of special budget development aimed at speeding discovery.

Along with Sen. Warner, both bills were co-authored by Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ed Markey (D-MA).

The NAPA Reauthorization Act and Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act are endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association and UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. The NAPA Reauthorization Act is also endorsed by the National Down Syndrome Society, the National Down Syndrome Congress, and LuMind IDSC Foundation.

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WASHINGTON – Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) today announced legislation to improve cybersecurity in the American health care system amid a wave of increased cyberattacks that are breaching Americans’ privacy and causing major disruptions to care across the country.

“Cyberattacks on our health care institutions threaten patients’ most private data and delay essential medical care, directly endangering Americans’ lives and long term health,” Sen. Warner said. “With hacks already targeting institutions across the country, it’s time to go beyond voluntary standards and ensure health care providers and vendors get serious about cybersecurity and patient safety. I’m glad to introduce legislation that would mandate sensible cybersecurity protocols while also getting resources to rural and underserved hospitals to ensure they have the funding to meet these new standards.”

“Megacorporations like UnitedHealth are flunking Cybersecurity 101, and American families are suffering as a result,” Sen. Wyden said. “The health care industry has some of the worst cybersecurity practices in the nation despite its critical importance to Americans’ well-being and privacy. These commonsense reforms, which include jail time for CEOs that lie to the government about their cybersecurity, will set a course to beef up cybersecurity among health care companies across the nation and stem the tide of cyberattacks that threaten to cripple the American health care system.”

“Cybersecurity remains an ever-evolving challenge in our health care ecosystem and more must be done to prevent cyber attacks and ensure patient safety,” said Andrea Palm, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. “Clear accountability measures and mandatory cybersecurity requirements for all organizations that hold sensitive data are essential. We are grateful for Senator Wyden and Senator Warner’s leadership and look forward to continuing to work together on this legislation to strengthen cyber resiliency across our entire health care ecosystem.”

The bill, titled the “Health Infrastructure Security and Accountability Act,” would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and enforce a set of tough minimum cybersecurity standards for health care providers, health plans, clearinghouses and business associates, including stronger standards for systemically important entities and entities important for national security. The bill would also remove the existing cap on fines under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which prevent the regulator from issuing fines large enough to deter megacorporations from ignoring cybersecurity standards, and provides funding for hospitals to improve their cybersecurity, particularly low-resource hospitals in rural and urban areas.

A one-page summary of the bill can be found here. The legislative text can be found here.

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WASHINGTON – After announcing draft legislation earlier this year, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and 16 colleagues in introducing the Keeping Obstetrics Local Act - legislation to address the rising trend of labor and delivery unit closures in rural and underserved hospitals.

“Rural communities need comprehensive access to health care, but in recent years we’ve seen far too many hospitals in these areas struggle to keep their doors open, with expectant mothers bearing the brunt of the impact,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m proud to introduce legislation that will help to ensure rural Virginians retain access to crucial OB-GYN care.”

The Keeping Obstetrics Local Act (KOLA) would increase Medicaid payment rates for labor and delivery services at eligible hospitals in rural and high-need urban areas, provide “standby” payments to cover the costs of staffing and maintaining an obstetrics unit at low-volume hospitals, create low-volume payment adjustments for labor and delivery services at hospitals with low birth volumes, and require all states to provide postpartum coverage for women in Medicaid for 12 months, among other steps. The bill would make sure that hospitals are required to use these additional resources to invest in the maternal health care needs of the local communities they serve.

A copy of the text is available here.

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WASHINGTON – With winter cold, flu, and COVID season upon us, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) is leading Senate introduction of the Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act, legislation requiring federal agencies to establish and publish workplace protections in the instance of a public health emergency declared for an infectious disease. Companion legislation was also introduced today in the House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA).

The legislation is named for Chai Suthammanont, a kitchen staff worker at a childcare facility on Marine Corps Base Quantico, who died from coronavirus-related complications in May of 2020 after being exposed to COVID-19, likely in the tight kitchen space he shared with additional staff. Confusion and uncertainty regarding best practices and agency policies, as well as a general lack of communication with federal workforce staff, likely contributed to his death.

Joining Sen. Warner in Senate introduction are Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

“Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal employees remained hard at work, ensuring that the American people could continue to count on their government. But unfortunately, the pandemic highlighted that our federal agencies were widely unprepared to protect these essential workers,” said Sen. Warner. “It’s crucial that we learn from our mistakes. We owe it to our federal workforce to ensure a safe workplace, and when faced with another public health emergency, we must be prepared.”

“On May 26, 2020, Chai Suthammanont, my constituent and a kitchen staff worker at a childcare facility on Marine Corps Base Quantico, died from COVID-related complications,” said Rep. Connolly. “Confusion and uncertainty surrounding agency guidance during the pandemic emerged as two of the largest contributing factors to Chai’s death. These factors, combined with a general lack of communication with federal workforce staff, led to tragedy. Our Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act will ensure federal employees are informed and better protected during any future public health emergency. I want to thank Senator Warner for his partnership, and I want to thank Chai’s widow, Christina, for her continued efforts to transform her family’s loss into a charge to help others.”

Specifically, the Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act would:

Require each federal agency to develop and maintain a plan that details public health protocols the agency will take during a nationwide infectious disease PHE declaration. The plan must include guidelines for testing, cleaning, occupancy limits, use of personal protective equipment, notification of individuals who may have been exposed, and protections for employees who travel off-site;
Require each agency to publish the safety plan on its website and communicate its plan to employees, contractors, and subcontractors;
Ensure accountability and oversight by requiring the Office of the Inspector General for each agency to report to Congress on plan implementation. The Government Accountability Office would also issue a report on the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic to improve future protocols.

This bill has been endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE).

Bill text is available here.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, (both D-VA) announced $3,517,754 in federal funding to support behavioral health across Virginia. The funding will help expand mental health and substance use disorder services at community health centers, which are often a primary source of care for individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, or enrolled in Medicaid. It was awarded through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Behavioral Health Service Expansion program.

“Behavioral health care is a critical part of caring for our communities, and we need to do more to expand access to this support,” said the Senators. “We’re glad this funding will help community health centers across Virginia reach more Virginians and provide them with the behavioral health services they need.”

The funding is allocated as follows:

$600,000 for New Horizons Healthcare in Roanoke
$600,000 for Neighborhood Health in Alexandria
$600,000 for Rockbridge Area Health Center in Lexington
$600,000 for Southwest Community Health in Saltville
$599,996 for Tri-Area Community Health in Laurel Fork
$517,758 for Daily Planet Inc. in Richmond

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported efforts to expand and support behavioral health across the Commonwealth. Last year, Warner and Kaine announced nearly $1.4 million in federal funding made possible by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act they helped pass to expand access to mental health care in Virginia. Sens. Warner and Kaine also introduced the CONNECT for Health Act, which would expand coverage of telehealth services, including mental health treatment and treatment for substance use disorders.

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WASHINGTON — Today, in the midst of the National Suicide Prevention Month, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced $4,549,848 in federal funding for suicide prevention efforts targeted towards Virginia’s veterans. The funding, courtesy of the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, will support community-based prevention efforts to meet the needs of veterans and their families through outreach, prevention services, and connection to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and community resources.

The Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program was created through the Warner-sponsored IMPROVE Wellbeing for Veterans Act, legislation introduced in 2019 to improve coordination of veteran mental health and suicide prevention services and to better measure the effectiveness of these programs in order to reduce the alarming number of veteran suicides. The legislation was signed into law as part of the broader Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act, which was passed unanimously in the Senate in August 2020.

“Too many veterans are silently suffering with their mental health when their tours of duty conclude. That’s why it is our duty to make sure that servicemembers, who sacrificed so much for our freedom and security, have the support and resources they deserve when they are struggling,” said Sen. Warner. “I was proud to help write the legislation that made this funding possible, and I am thrilled that Virginia’s veterans will receive more support as we continue to tackle the alarming rate of veteran suicide.”

“Our veterans have made great sacrifices for our nation, and we owe it to them to provide them with the best support possible, including mental health resources,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’m proud this funding, made possible by legislation I helped pass, will expand community-based suicide prevention efforts for veterans across Virginia.”

This funding is broken down as follows:

Volunteers of America Chesapeake will receive $750,000 in funding and will serve the cities of Alexandria, Bristol, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Harrisonburg, Norton, and Winchester as well as Arlington, Buchanan, Caroline, Clarke, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Essex, Fauquier, Frederick, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lee, Loudoun, Page, Prince William, Rockingham, Russell, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Tazewell, Warren, Washington, and Wise counties.
Western Tidewater Community Services Board will receive $613,910 in funding and will serve Accomack, Essex, Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King William, Middlesex, Northampton, and Southampton counties, Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg.
Boulder Crest Foundation will receive $725,000 in funding and will operate in Arizona and Virginia, serving Clarke, Frederick, and Loudoun counties in Virginia.
Modern Military Association of America, Inc. will receive $669,800 in funding and will operate in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, serving Alexandria, as well as Fairfax and Arlington counties in Virginia.
EveryMind will receive $541,138 in funding and will operate in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, serving Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William counties and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park in Virginia.
United States Veterans Initiative will receive $400,000 in funding and will operate in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, serving Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Prince William, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford and Warren counties in Virginia.
Community Building Art Works will receive $100,000 in funding and will operate in Washington, D.C., Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia, serving all counties in Virginia.
Blue Star Families Inc. will receive $750,000 in funding and will operate nationally, including serving Virginia veterans.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long been strong advocates for improving mental health care for Virginia’s veterans. In addition to seeing through the signing of his legislation to expand veterans’ access to mental health services and reduce the alarming rate of veteran suicide, Sen. Warner has also previously met with senior leadership at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center and Hampton VA Medical Center to discuss suicide prevention efforts and other issues affecting the local veteran community. Last year, Sen. Kaine cosponsored the Not Just a Number Act, bipartisan legislation that would help the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs better prevent veteran suicide.

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WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement on the Senate’s failure to advance the Right to IVF Act, Warner-sponsored legislation that would establish the right to receive, provide or cover in-vitro fertilization (IVF) services and expand IVF insurance coverage nationwide:

“For many Americans who dream of starting a family, access to IVF can make all the difference. Unfortunately, in the years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, we’ve continued to see states and legislatures across the county chip away at a woman’s right to access reproductive care, including IVF. I am baffled and disappointed to see so many of my Republican colleagues vote to block this pro-family legislation, which would have protected the right to IVF, provided support to veterans who want to grow their families, and increase IVF affordability under insurance.”

The Right to IVF Act includes provisions from the Warner-cosponsored Access to Family Building Act, and would establish a right for individuals to access IVF and (assisted reproductive technology) ART services, as well as an adjacent right for doctors to provide these services. It also includes measures from the Veteran Families Health Services Act, which would improve fertility treatment and counseling options for veterans and servicemembers and promote research on servicemember and veteran reproductive health. It would also take several steps to increase affordability, including through mandating coverage of fertility treatments through employer-sponsored insurance plans and other public plans, as well as the Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) Program.

Sen. Warner is a longtime advocate for comprehensive protections for reproductive care. In April, Sen. Warner urged the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to require all insurance carriers in the FEHB Program to cover in-vitro fertilization (IVF) medical treatments and medications. He also cosponsored and voted to pass the Right to Contraception Act, which would codify a right to birth control, and the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would protect abortion access, both of which have been blocked by Republicans.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today released the following statement on reporting that the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is working on a proposed rule that would significantly impact patients’ ability to access certain prescriptions through telemedicine.

“As currently reported, the DEA’s proposal provides an even worse solution than the one put forth under the first proposed rule. This arcane approach would represent a significant step back for patients who rely on telemedicine for critical medications, and yet another failure by the DEA to establish a meaningful special registration, which Congress has repeatedly directed it to do for over a decade. The pandemic proved that the vast majority of health care providers can successfully provide quality health care through telehealth. We don’t need an arbitrary new set of regulations – we just need DEA to set up the minimum training requirements for providers and a special registration that allows the DEA to do its job to monitor telemedicine prescribing of these medications and catch bad actors. If the DEA is unable to work with health care providers and finalize a workable proposal soon, Congress should be prepared to take action so patients aren’t left without care on January 1st.”

Since 2008, Congress has directed the DEA to set up a special registration process, an exception process under the Ryan Haight Act, a law that regulates the online prescription of controlled substances. This special registration process would open up the door for quality health care providers to evaluate a patient and safely prescribe medications over telehealth, as was done for years during the pandemic.

Sen. Warner, a former tech entrepreneur, has been a longtime advocate for increased access to telehealth. He is an original cosponsor of the CONNECT for Health Act, which would expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to safely connect with their doctors. He previously wrote to both the Biden and Trump administrations to urge the DEA to finalize regulations that allow doctors to prescribe controlled substances through telehealth. Sen. Warner also sent a letter to Senate leadership during the height of the COVID-19 crisis, calling for the permanent expansion of access to telehealth services. In September 2023, Sen. Warner led bipartisan partners to share serious concerns about an earlier version of DEA’s proposed rule, which would also have seriously curtailed access to prescriptions through telemedicine.

In 2018, Sen. Warner included a provision to expand financial coverage for virtual substance use treatment in the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018. In 2003, then-Gov. Warner expanded Medicaid coverage for telemedicine statewide, including evaluation and management visits, a range of individual psychotherapies, the full range of consultations, and some clinical services, including in cardiology and obstetrics. Coverage was also expanded to include non-physician providers. Among other benefits, the telehealth expansion allowed individuals in medically underserved and remote areas of Virginia to access quality specialty care that isn’t always available at home.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) celebrated the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) becoming law. Both senators were proud to support the groundbreaking legislation, which passed in the Senate by one vote and has lowered health care costs, capped insulin prices, and brought new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate investment to Virginia—all while cutting the deficit in the process.

“I’m proud that we passed the Inflation Reduction Act, a truly historic investment in unleashing domestic energy production, lowering prices for hardworking families, and creating American jobs,” said Sen. Warner. “In the two years since we got the IRA done, we’ve already seen historic efforts to bring down the skyrocketing costs of insulin and other prescription drugs, critical job-creating investments across the Commonwealth, and lower health care premiums for hundreds of thousands of Virginians. The best part is that we’re just getting started. I’m looking forward to more provisions of this law setting in to lower costs, turbocharge energy production, and create good jobs for Virginians.”

“The IRA is a landmark piece of legislation that has already established a $35 monthly cap on insulin, lowered health care premiums for over 300,000 Virginians, and brought hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate investments to Virginia to create new jobs,” said Sen. Kaine. “And we’re not finished yet. Thanks to the IRA, Medicare has begun negotiating drug prices for the very first time—and the results of the initial round of negotiations that were announced yesterday will save older Americans $1.5 billion and the federal budget $6 billion in the first year of implementation alone. Lowering costs and creating jobs are among my top priorities, and I look forward to building on this progress.”

The IRA included clean energy tax credits that have incentivized a series of corporate investments in Virginia, including:

A $681 million investment by LS GreenLink to build a state-of-the-art facility to manufacture high-voltage subsea cables used for offshore wind farms in Chesapeake.
An investment of over $400 million by Topsoe to build a new manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County, which will create at least 150 new jobs in Virginia.
An investment of over $208 million by Mack and Volvo Trucks to sustain 7,900 union jobs and create 295 new jobs in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Volvo Trucks is the second largest employer in the New River Valley, sustaining 3,600 jobs in Dublin, including 3,200 United Automobile Workers (UAW) jobs. In April 2023, Kaine toured the Volvo Trucks NRV facility in Dublin, met with employees, and drove a Volvo VNR Electric truck.

In addition to incentivizing those investments, the IRA included the following provisions that have already taken effect:

Health Care

Black lung benefits: The law permanently extended the black lung excise tax at a higher rate, providing more certainty for miners, miner retirees, and their families who rely on the fund to access benefits. In Virginia, thousands of miners and their families have received benefits through the trust fund since it was established, including approximately 2,600 Virginians in 2021. Click here to learn more about what this means for miners and miner retirees like Mr. James Gibbs, a Bristol native, the At-Large International Vice President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), and Kaine's guest to the 2023 State of the Union.
$35 cap on the cost of insulin: Out-of-pocket costs for insulin—regardless of how much a patient needs—are capped at $35 per month under Medicare. Thanks to the IRA, 36,461 Virginians on Medicare who use insulin now pay no more than $35 per month. Click here to learn how seniors like Mrs. Marguerite Bailey Young of Fredericksburg, who was Warner’s guest to the 2023 State of the Union, are benefiting from the $35 cap.
Free vaccines for Medicare recipients: People with Medicare no longer have to pay to receive most vaccines under Medicare Part D, which includes vaccines for shingles, HPV, MMR, diphtheria, and pertussis. In 2023, over 230,000 seniors in Virginia received a recommended vaccine free of cost.
Extension of ACA subsidies: During the pandemic, Congress enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help lower health care premiums for millions of Americans. The IRA extended these enhanced subsidies through 2025 to help make Virginians’ health insurance more affordable. 350,008 Virginians with ACA coverage are receiving assistance to lower the cost of their premium. In 2022, Virginians saved an average of $508 per month on their health insurance premium.
Lower Premiums for More Than 500,000 Virginians: There are additional provisions that went into effect to limit annual premium increases for Americans, including more than 500,000 Virginians enrolled in Medicare Part D.
Penalties on drug manufacturers that increase prices: Manufacturers are required to keep the increase in the cost of their drugs at or below inflation.

A fact sheet including a timeline for various IRA provisions related to lowering health care costs is available here.

Clean Energy

Boosts to clean energy investments: Clean energy manufacturers can apply for expanded tax credits that incentivize investment in and production of renewable energy technologies like solar power and offshore wind. The IRA set aside $4 billion in credits for businesses that make these investments in energy communities that have seen closures of coal mines or retirements of coal-fired power plants in recent years. This means that communities in Virginia, especially Southwest Virginia, are well-positioned to benefit from many of these tax credits and funding opportunities. Last year, Kaine hosted an event at Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap to discuss how Virginia can best harness the clean energy tax credits, economic development, and job creation opportunities created by the legislation.
Improvements to home energy efficiency: Homeowners can receive up to 30 percent back through tax credits for making energy efficiency improvements to their home—generally up to a maximum of $1,200 per year but potentially up to $3,200 if improvements include heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, or biomass stoves.
Simplified Electric Vehicle (EV) Tax Credits: The IRA allows qualified individuals to get a tax credit of up to $7,500 for the purchase of new EVs or a tax credit of up to $4,000 for certain used EVs and plug-in hybrids purchased through a dealership. Virginians who buy an EV from a participating dealer can now choose to receive their tax credit for that purchase at the point-of-sale instead of after filing their taxes.
Federal funding to help low-income and disadvantaged communities more easily access solar energy: The IRA brought over $156 million in federal funding to Virginia to support solar energy development in low-income areas, which will lower energy costs for families and create good-quality jobs while tackling the effects of climate change.

While many provisions in the IRA have already been implemented, there are additional provisions that will begin later this year or in the years to come:

Cap on out-of-pocket costs on prescription drugs: Beginning in 2025, there will be a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket costs on prescription drugs for seniors covered under Medicare Part D. Some estimates have shown that Virginia seniors on Medicare will save an average of $440.62 on out-of-pocket costs on prescription drugs thanks to this cap. Watch here to hear what this cap will mean for seniors like Mr. Irv Varkonyi from Fairfax.
Medicare drug price negotiation: On September 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a list of the first 10 drugs covered under Part D eligible for the Medicare drug price negotiation program. Yesterday, CMS announced the results of that first round of negotiations, which included discounts of up to 79% and will go into effect in 2026. The IRA provided Medicare with the ability to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for the first time in history.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) wrote to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger to quickly develop and release mandatory minimum cyber standards for the health care sector. This letter comes as cyberattackers continue to exploit vulnerabilities in many current systems.

“I write today to urge you to prioritize the development of mandatory minimum cyber standards and to propose them as soon as possible, given the increasing severity, frequency, and sophistication of cybersecurity threats and attacks. Health care is one of the largest sectors in the U.S. economy, with health expenditures accounting for 17 percent of the United States’ gross domestic product in 2022, and expected to grow to nearly 20 percent by 2032. More important than the economic risks cyberattacks pose to the health care sector are the vulnerabilities to patients’ access to care and private health information. Simply put, inadequate cybersecurity practices put people’s lives at risk,” Sen. Warner wrote.

This letter comes months after a major cybersecurity incident at Change Healthcare affected billing and care authorization portals and led to prescription backlogs and missed revenue for providers. This attack, and other similar attempts, pose a serious risk not only to regular business operations, but also to patient care. In his letter, Sen. Warner highlighted that without basic security measures, these attacks are relatively easy to carry out and will happen with more frequency.

Sen. Warner continued, “Due to some entities failing to implement basic cybersecurity best practices, such as the lack of multi-factor authentication resulting in the successful attack on Change Healthcare, the capability required of a threat actor to carry out an operation in the sector can be quite low.”

Sen. Warner has been a leader in the cybersecurity realm throughout his time in the Senate, crafting numerous pieces of legislation aimed at addressing these threats facing our nation. Recognizing that cybersecurity is an increasingly complex issue that affects the health, economic prosperity, national security, and democratic institutions of the United States, Sen. Warner cofounded the bipartisan Senate Cybersecurity Caucus in 2016. A year later, in 2017, he authored the Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act. This legislation, signed into law by President Donald Trump in December 2020, requires that any IoT device purchased with federal funds meet minimum security standards. As Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Sen. Warner co-authored legislation that requires companies responsible for U.S. critical infrastructure report cybersecurity incidents to the government. This legislation was signed into law by President Joe Biden as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act in March 2022.

Sen. Warner has also examined cybersecurity in the health care sector specifically. In 2022, Sen. Warner authored “Cybersecurity is Patient Safety,” a policy options paper, outlining current cybersecurity threats facing health care providers and systems and offering for discussion a series of policy solutions to improve cybersecurity across the industry. Since publishing, Sen. Warner has launched the Health Care Cybersecurity Working Group with a bipartisan group of colleagues to examine and propose potential legislative solutions to strengthen cybersecurity in the health care and public health sector.

A copy of the letter can be found here are below.

Dear Secretary Becerra and Ms. Neuberger:

Thank you for your continued commitment to improving cybersecurity in America’s health care system. I write today to urge you to prioritize the development of mandatory minimum cyber standards and to propose them as soon as possible, given the increasing severity, frequency, and sophistication of cybersecurity threats and attacks. Health care is one of the largest sectors in the U.S. economy, with health expenditures accounting for 17 percent of the United States’ gross domestic product in 2022, and expected to grow to nearly 20 percent by 2032. More important than the economic risks cyberattacks pose to the health care sector are the vulnerabilities to patients’ access to care and private health information. Simply put, inadequate cybersecurity practices put people’s lives at risk.

Financially-motivated threat actors realize that the sector has both highly valuable data in its possession and also faces tremendous pressure to respond quickly to a ransomware demand. Health records are more valuable than credit card records on the dark market and disruptions to operations of health care providers have direct impact on the life and well-being of their patients. Due to some entities failing to implement basic cybersecurity best practices, such as the lack of multi-factor authentication resulting in the successful attack on Change Healthcare, the capability required of a threat actor to carry out an operation in the sector can be quite low.

Further, both the size and increasingly interconnected nature of the sector create a vulnerable attack surface. Not only do attacks against the sector often result in the loss of highly personal and sensitive data, those attacks have also affected the ability of providers to maintain the availability and quality of their care. We have seen devastating incidents, including the recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare, that ultimately took down the ability of providers to pay their workers and prevented pharmacists from looking up patient insurance and co-pay information. The recent cyberattack on the nationwide provider, Ascension, has also resulted in delays in care. And we have a growing body of evidence that clearly demonstrates that cybersecurity is, above all else, a patient safety issue.

The health care sector must be fully engaged in developing, implementing, and maintaining a coherent and effective cybersecurity regime; accepting cyberattacks due to lack of preparedness cannot and should not be a cost of doing business. The stakes are too high, and the voluntary nature of the status quo is not working, especially regarding health care stakeholders that are systemically important nationally or regionally. Mandatory minimum cyber standards would ensure that all health care stakeholders prioritize cybersecurity in their work.

Policymakers, cybersecurity professionals, and patients alike have long been raising the alarm that the voluntary nature of cybersecurity in health care is insufficient and dangerous. It’s critical that the Administration expeditiously act to create mandatory, enforceable policies in the health care sector.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement on the Senate’s failure to advance the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, Warner-cosponsored legislation that would affirm the Senate’s support for protecting and restoring access to abortion and reproductive health care across the country:

“In the two years since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, we have seen unprecedented attacks on women’s reproductive health care in Virginia and across the country. This legislation posed a simple question – do you support protecting access to abortion and reproductive care? I am disappointed by how many of my colleagues answered ‘no’ today, but I will continue working to ensure that women have the right to make their own decisions about their health care.”

Following the Dobbs decision, Sen. Warner has strongly advocated for legislation to protect Americans’ access to reproductive health care. Earlier this year, Sen. Warner cosponsored and voted to pass the Right to IVF Act, legislation that would have protected and expanded access to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) services nationwide, as well as the Right to Contraception Act, legislation to codify a right to birth control. Both of these efforts were blocked by Republicans. Last year, Sen. Warner also cosponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), federal legislation to guarantee access to abortion care across the country.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, (both D-VA) announced $1,935,757 in Public Health funding from AmeriCorps — the federal agency for national service and volunteerism — and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This funding for Virginia will go towards building the capacity of the public health workforce and bolstering efforts relating to mental health, chronic disease prevention, and public health readiness. Through this funding, Public Health AmeriCorps members will continue to gain experience in the public health field while supporting local health efforts and community-based organizations.

“AmeriCorps members across Virginia work hard to create positive change for the communities they serve,” said the Senators. “This federal funding will allow volunteers to continue their important work of addressing some of the Commonwealth’s biggest health care needs.”

The funding, which was made possible through the annual federal budget that Sens. Warner and Kaine helped pass, is broken down as follows:

Volunteers of America, Inc. in Alexandria, VA will receive $432,000 in funding to continue supporting 16 AmeriCorps members;
The City of Richmond will receive $431,317 in in funding to continue supporting 16 AmeriCorps members;
Catholic Charities USA in Alexandria, VA will receive $314,306 in funding to continue supporting 14 AmeriCorps members;
Blue Ridge Medical Center in Nelson County, VA will receive $312,659 in funding to continue supporting 34 AmeriCorps members;
Boat People SOS, Inc. in Falls Church, VA will receive $226,797 in funding to continue supporting 12 AmeriCorps members;
The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, VA will receive $218,678 in funding to continue supporting 15 AmeriCorps members.

Since the launch of Public Health AmeriCorps in 2021, more than 4,700 AmeriCorps members have added much-needed capacity to health departments, community-based organizations, schools and more. This partnership has capitalized on AmeriCorps’ people power and infrastructure and leveraged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s technical expertise as the country’s leading public health agency to address communities’ most pressing public health challenges and create new pathways to public-health related careers.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and 14 of his Democratic colleagues in releasing draft legislation to address the rising trend of labor and delivery unit closures in rural and underserved hospitals.

“Rural hospitals across the country and the Commonwealth of Virginia are struggling to keep their doors open, and expectant mothers are bearing the brunt of the impact,” said Sen. Warner. “This draft legislation aims to ensure that all hospitals are able to continue delivering obstetrics care to people in need.”

The Keep Obstetrics Local Act (KOLA) would increase Medicaid payment rates for labor and delivery services at eligible hospitals in rural and high-need urban areas, provide “standby” payments to cover the costs of staffing and maintaining an obstetrics unit at low-volume hospitals, create low-volume payment adjustments for labor and delivery services at hospitals with low birth volumes, and require all states to provide postpartum coverage for women in Medicaid for 12 months, among other steps. The proposal makes sure that hospitals are required to use these additional resources to invest in the maternal health care needs of the local communities they serve.

Virginia has experienced a scourge of closures and challenges to obstetrics care in recent years:

In April 2024, HCA LewisGale Hospital Montgomery in Blacksburg, VA temporarily ceased obstetrics services, citing the continuing challenge of recruiting full-time OB-GYNs;
In August 2023, Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital in South Boston, VA ended obstetric services, citing the significant decrease in births in recent years;
In 2022, Sovah Health Martinsville in Martinsville, VA temporarily paused Labor & Delivery services, citing a 60 percent decline in deliveries since 2015;
In 2019, Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth, VA closed its maternity unit, citing insufficient demand;
In 2018, Valley Health Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal, VA closed its maternity unit.

Between 2012 and 2022, approximately one quarter of all rural hospitals stopped providing obstetrics services, impacting 267 communities. This trend of closures is caused by several overlapping challenges, including the high fixed operating costs of these units, low volumes of births, and difficulties in attracting and retaining OB-trained clinical staff, all of which is made worse by inadequate federal reimbursement for labor and delivery services.

Sen. Warner has led efforts in the Senate to help curb the trend of hospital closures in rural communities. Last year, he introduced the Save Rural Hospitals Act, legislation to help curb the trend of hospital closures in rural communities by making sure hospitals are fairly reimbursed for their services by the federal government.

A summary and section by section of the draft legislation can be found here. A copy of the draft bill text is available here.

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WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement on the Senate’s failure to advance the Right to IVF Act, Warner-cosponsored legislation that would protect and expand access to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) services nationwide.

“For years, millions of women have safely and successfully used IVF to start and grow families, making their plans a reality and their dreams come true. Yet we’ve seen judges and politicians take direct aim at fertility care, including in Alabama, where a state Supreme Court ruling upended families’ access to IVF overnight. It isn’t a far-off threat or a fearmongering tactic – we’re in the middle of a targeted assault on women’s access to reproductive care, and we need federal protections in place so families in all 50 states have the freedom to grow if they wish to do so. I’m deeply disappointed that my colleagues failed to protect access to IVF today, including robust protections for servicemembers and military families. I stand firmly with a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions, and I’ll never stop fighting to protect and expand a right to IVF.”

The Right to IVF Act includes provisions from the Warner-cosponsored Access to Family Building Act, and would establish a right for individuals to access IVF and ART services, as well as an adjacent right for doctors to provide these services. It also includes measures from the Veteran Families Health Services Act, which would improve fertility treatment and counseling options for veterans and servicemembers and promote research on servicemember and veteran reproductive health. It would also take several steps to increase affordability, including through mandating coverage of fertility treatments through employer-sponsored insurance plans and other public plans, as well as the Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) Program.

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in introducing the Right to IVF Act, legislation to protect and expand access to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) services nationwide. The Senate is expected to vote on the Right to IVF Act soon.

“For decades, millions of women have used IVF to start or grow their families and make their dreams come true,” said Sen. Warner. “It’s clear that lawmakers and judges across the country won’t stop at banning abortion – we’re witnessing a broad-scale attack on reproductive freedom that includes access to assisted reproductive technology and contraception, too. I’m glad to be standing up to these attacks by introducing the Right to IVF Act and other comprehensive measures to protect reproductive care, and I won’t stop fighting for families to have the freedom to access basic health care.”

“Following the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that restricted IVF access, Elizabeth Carr, the first person born via IVF in the United States in Norfolk, said she felt like an endangered species. I invited her to the State of the Union this year to shine a light on this issue because no one should be made to feel that way. We must take steps to protect Americans’ freedom to decide whether, when, and how to start or build their families amid state restrictions on reproductive health care,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’m proud to be introducing this comprehensive bill to protect and expand access to IVF and ART services. I hope my colleagues will pass it when it comes to the Senate floor next week.”

Specifically, the Right to IVF Act includes provisions from four bills:

The Access to Family Building Act, which Warner and Kaine cosponsored to
- Establish a statutory right for individuals to access, providers to provide, and insurers to cover IVF and ART services.
- Authorize the U.S. Department of Justice to enforce these statutory rights.
- Authorize a private right of action to allow adversely affected parties to sue.
The Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2023, which Kaine cosponsored to
- Permanently authorize and enhance fertility treatment and counseling options for veterans and servicemembers, expand family-building assistance, improve eligibility rules, and strengthen research on servicemember and veteran long-term reproductive health.
- Expand servicemembers’ access to fertility services before deployment to a combat zone or hazardous duty assignment and after an injury or illness.
The Access to Fertility Treatment and Care Act to
- Increase affordability of fertility care, including IVF, by requiring employer-sponsored insurance plans and other public insurance plans, cover fertility treatments.
- Standardize baseline of high-quality fertility treatment coverage under private health insurance plans and protect Americans against excessive out-of-pocket costs.
The Family Friendly FEHB Fairness Act to
- Promote the standardization and widespread availability of affordable fertility treatment coverage under employer-sponsored health insurance plans.
- Require insurance carriers that participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) Program to cover ART, including IVF treatments.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have been strong advocates for reproductive freedom in Congress. Following an Alabama Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that led to restricted access of IVF, Warner and Kaine cosponsored the Access to Family Building Act to protect Americans’ right to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology services. In April, Warner and Kaine urged the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to require health insurance coverage of IVF medical treatments and medications for federal employees. In March, Kaine invited Norfolk-born Elizabeth Carr, the first person born in the United States via IVF, to join him as his guest at the State of the Union. Kaine held two roundtables in Norfolk and Arlington to discuss the need to protect IVF. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, Kaine worked across the aisle to introduce the Reproductive Freedom For All Act, a bipartisan bill to protect access to abortion and contraception.

The Right to IVF Act is endorsed by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, MomsRising, the Endocrine Society, Indivisible, and the What to Expect Project.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a cosponsor of the Right to Contraception Act, issued the following statement after voting to advance legislation to codify the right to access contraception into law. The legislation failed to reach the 60-vote threshold to move forward by a margin of 51-39.

“For over 50 years, Americans’ right to contraception has been protected by the Supreme Court. But in the years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, we have seen countless attacks on reproductive rights across the country including, unfortunately, in Virginia. Birth control is an essential part of health care, and the right to decide if and when to start a family should never be taken away from individuals. This legislation would have protected the right of women and families to access contraception without delay, harassment, or intimidation. I’m disappointed by today’s vote, but I will continue supporting measures that allow women to access the care they need.”

Earlier this year, Sen. Warner cosponsored legislation that would guarantee timely access to birth control at pharmacies nationwide. Today’s vote follows a move by Virginia state legislators to preserve contraception access in the Commonwealth, though that effort was eventually vetoed by the Governor.

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WASHINGTON – Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) cosponsored Tyler’s Law, a bill directing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide hospitals with guidance on how emergency rooms can implement fentanyl testing in their routine drug screens. The bill is named for Tyler Shamash, a teenager who died of an overdose in part because – unbeknownst to the physician – he was not tested for fentanyl upon being checked into the emergency room.

“I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of 17-year-old Fairfax County resident Malcolm Kent, who died of a fentanyl overdose that might have been prevented by more comprehensive testing protocols. It’s clear that we need to start employing every mechanism we have at our disposal to catch and treat overdoses before they occur,” said Sen. Warner. “While this law will never bring back Malcolm Kent, Tyler Shamash, or the thousands we’ve lost too soon to overdoses, in their memory I am glad to push to save more lives by instituting more robust guidance on testing for fentanyl during a suspected overdose.”

In January 2023, Malcolm Kent, a 17-year-old Fairfax County resident, went to the emergency room while experiencing an overdose but was not tested for fentanyl. He died of a fentanyl overdose shortly after being discharged. His mother, Thurraya Kent, has advocated for robust measures to test for fentanyl in emergency rooms and expand access to treatment.

Tyler’s Law would direct the Secretary of HHS to:

Complete a study to determine how frequently emergency rooms are currently testing for fentanyl when patients come in for an overdose, as well as the associated costs and benefits/risks, and
Issue guidance to hospitals on implementing fentanyl testing in emergency rooms.

In 2022, 1,967 Virginians died due to overdose of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, accounting for nearly 79% of all drug overdose deaths in Virginia. Nationally, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were responsible for just over 63% of all drug overdose deaths that year. Since the start of the COVID pandemic, fentanyl has more than doubled overdose deaths among children ages 12 to 17.

Sen. Warner has consistently pushed for robust action to address the opioid epidemic, particularly by expanding telehealth so more Virginians experiencing substance use disorder can access treatment. He leads the TREATS Act, which would permanently (and without any special registration) allow telehealth prescribing of controlled substances to treat opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine. He also repeatedly pushed the DEA to preserve pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities and create a special registration so that quality providers can permanently prescribe controlled substances safely via telehealth. To address trafficking, he recently celebrated passage of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, a sanctions and anti-money laundering law that targets fentanyl traffickers. He also introduced the Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act, legislation that would increase staffing capacity and technology to detect drugs that are being smuggled through points of entry.

Tyler’s Law is led by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Mike Braun (R-IN), and also cosponsored by Bob Casey (D-PA), Todd Young (R-IN), Alex Padilla (D-CA). The full text of the bill is available here.

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WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced $1,000,000 for Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond to educate and train the primary care and supportive care workforces to provide age-friendly and dementia-friendly care to older Americans. The funding, made possible by the Fiscal Year 2024 government funding bill that Warner and Kaine helped pass, was awarded through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)’s Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP). The program was made permanent as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Warner and Kaine voted to pass.

“All Americans deserve to age with dignity, and we should make it easier for older adults to get the care they need in their communities,” said the senators. “We’re glad this funding is headed to VCU to train more health care professionals to provide care to older Americans and address health care workforce shortages.”

Warner and Kaine have long worked to expand access to care for older Americans. As a member of the Senate HELP Committee, Kaine is working to reauthorize the Older Americans Act (OAA), which provides nutritional services, family caregiver support, long-term care programs, and other services to older Americans. In March, he introduced two witnesses from Virginia during a HELP Committee hearing on the OAA. Kaine has also introduced legislation to revitalize the long-term care workforce. As co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, Warner led efforts to introduce and pass the National Alzheimer’s Project to treat and prevent the disease. Kaine’s bipartisan BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act, legislation to reauthorize funding for public health initiatives across the country to combat Alzheimer’s disease and preserve brain health, passed out of the Senate HELP Committee last month.

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, (both D-VA) have cosponsored the Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act. In April 2023, Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10) shared her diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, and in September of last year her diagnosis was upgraded to progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare and incurable brain disorder that rapidly deteriorates mobility and speech.

Specifically, this legislation would direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to set up a National Parkinson’s Project, under which HHS would create and update a national plan to address Parkinson’s and related conditions, including Rep. Wexton’s diagnosis of PSP, provide an estimate of research needs, and establish an advisory council that would report to Congress.

“Our friend Jennifer Wexton has been a model of grace and perseverance in the face of a difficult diagnosis,” said the senators. “We are proud to introduce this legislation that will devote time and resources towards tackling Parkinson’s disease and its related conditions so that one day we can find a cure for this devastating disease.”

The National Parkinson’s Project is modeled after the National Alzheimer’s Project which, as co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease, Sen. Warner led efforts to introduce and pass. Sen. Kaine is leading the bipartisan Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act, legislation to reauthorize funding for public health initiatives across the country to combat Alzheimer’s disease and preserve brain health.

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WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Patty Murray (D-WA) to introduce the Access to Birth Control Act, legislation that would guarantee timely access to birth control at pharmacies nationwide. The bill comes two years after it was leaked that the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization would overturn Roe v. Wade, which opened the floodgates for draconian restrictions on reproductive freedom across America.

“Birth control is an essential part of health care for so many women,” said Sen. Warner. “As the Supreme Court and states across the nation continue to roll back essential protections for reproductive care, I’m proud to be standing up to protect access to contraception. The Access to Birth Control Act will take critical steps forward to make sure that patients can always access contraception without delay, harassment, or intimidation.”

“Every woman should have the freedom to make her own health care decisions—including those regarding birth control—without delay or interference by the government,” said Sen. Kaine. “With women’s reproductive rights under threat across the country, I will continue to push for legislation like the Access to Birth Control Act and my Reproductive Freedom for All Act to protect access to contraception.”

The Access to Birth Control Act would ensure that patients have access to contraception at the pharmacy without delay and that pharmacies do not operate an environment where patients are intimidated, threatened, or harassed when seeking access to contraception or medication related to contraception. If a pharmacy violates one of these requirements, the bill establishes liability for civil penalties for the pharmacy and a private cause of action for patients to seek relief.

Warner and Kaine are active supporters of reproductive freedom and access to health care. Following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court ruling, Kaine introduced the bipartisan Reproductive Freedom for All Act, legislation that would enact the essential holdings of Roe v. Wade to protect abortion rights and contraception access. Last year, Warner and Kaine also introduced the Right to Contraception Act, legislation to enshrine the right to contraception into federal law.

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WASHINGTON— U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, joined U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), and a bicameral group of their colleagues in urging the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to require all insurance carriers in the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Program to cover in-vitro fertilization (IVF) medical treatments and medications. 12 million people around the world have been born from IVF and other assisted reproductive technology services.

“Out of pocket costs for one cycle of IVF can cost the patient between $15,000 and $30,000, with prescription drug costs accounting for 35 percent of that cost,” wrote the members. “As OPM begins to prepare for plan year 2025, we strongly urge you to build on the impressive progress the Biden administration has made in empowering the Federal Government to effectively recruit and retain the next generation of civil servants by requiring all FEHB carriers to cover IVF medical treatments and medications in plan year 2025.”

They continued, “Requiring FEHB carriers to cover IVF medical treatments and medications for plan year 2025 would reflect the reality that IVF is one of the most effective treatments for families struggling with infertility, and growing in popularity, with its usage nearly doubling from 2012 to 2021. Importantly, it would also sharpen the Federal Government’s competitive advantage in competing for talented workers, as surveys demonstrate that employees experiencing infertility without adequate IVF coverage will express dissatisfaction with their employer and seek new professional opportunities.”

Warner and Kaine have been strong advocates for reproductive freedom in Congress. Following an Alabama Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that led to restricted access of IVF, Warner and Kaine cosponsored the Access to Family Building Act to protect Americans’ right to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology services. In March, Kaine invited Norfolk-born Elizabeth Carr, the first person born in the United States via IVF, to join him as his guest at the State of the Union. Kaine held two roundtables in Norfolk and Arlington to discuss the need to protect IVF. Kaine also cosponsored the Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2023, legislation that would expand the fertility treatments and family-building services for servicemembers and veterans. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, Kaine worked across the aisle to introduce the Reproductive Freedom For All Act, a bipartisan bill to protect access to abortion and contraception.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Director Ahuja:

We write to commend your leadership, on behalf of the Biden administration, in strengthening the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) commitment to helping our Nation’s dedicated civil servants build their families through expanded coverage of assisted reproductive technology (ART) services under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program.

For plan year 2024, OPM succeeded in providing Federal employees with 24 FEHB plan options providing varying levels of coverage of ART. Critically, for the first time in FEHB’s history, OPM secured inclusion of a national plan with ART coverage, ensuring that every Federal employee, no matter where they live, will be guaranteed at least some coverage of ART services.

OPM also deserves significant credit for requiring FEHB carriers to cover in vitro fertilization (IVF) medications for three cycles annually. Out of pocket costs for one cycle of IVF can cost the patient between $15,000 and $30,000, with prescription drug costs accounting for 35 percent of that cost. While significant work remains to be done to improve IVF access, which includes ensuring comprehensive plan designs are inclusive of LGBTQ and solo individuals who rely on medical intervention to build their families, your leadership in making sure FEHB plans cover IVF medications represents meaningful progress in expanding access to fertility treatments, which will ultimately prove life-changing for families across the country.

As OPM begins to prepare for plan year 2025, we strongly urge you to build on the impressive progress the Biden administration has made in empowering the Federal Government to effectively recruit and retain the next generation of civil servants by requiring all FEHB carriers to cover IVF medical treatments and medications in plan year 2025. At a time when IVF is increasingly under attack by the extreme personhood movement, President Biden would send a strong message that his administration, in word and deed, are true champions of safeguarding the right of families to decide if, when and how to build a family.

Requiring FEHB carriers to cover IVF medical treatments and medications for plan year 2025 would reflect the reality that IVF is one of the most effective treatments for families struggling with infertility, and growing in popularity, with its usage nearly doubling from 2012 to 2021. Importantly, it would also sharpen the Federal Government’s competitive advantage in competing for talented workers, as surveys demonstrate that employees experiencing infertility without adequate IVF coverage will express dissatisfaction with their employer and seek new professional opportunities.

As our Nation’s largest employer-sponsored group health insurance plan, FEHB is a national trend setter for employer-sponsored coverage choices and making IVF coverage a default requirement would accelerate the adoption of pro-family policies beyond FEHB to ensure that more workers with employer-sponsored coverage are able to access IVF medical treatments.

Simply put, at a time when seemingly every politician is loudly declaring their support for IVF—even when many of those same politicians support the personhood movement that has endangered IVF’s future—President Biden has an opportunity to demonstrate strong leadership by taking decisive action to make the scientific miracle that is IVF accessible to many more Americans, beginning with our dedicated Federal workforce.

Thank you in advance for considering our request to enhance FEHB’s IVF coverage for plan year 2025, and we look forward to working with you to advance these important initiatives.

Sincerely,

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