News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, led a markup of several public health reauthorization bills. “As we must do with every authorization bill that moves through this committee, it is critical that we evaluate the impacts these programs have had, and not only ensure the money is being spent as it was originally intended, but also ensure patient privacy is protected ,” said Chairman Griffith. “ Considering each of these reauthorizations is an important step forward to ensure each program is working as intended, and we will continue to examine these programs as we move to full committee .” Legislative Vote Summary: H.R. 4262 , To reauthorize programs related to health professions education, and for other purposes, was reported to the full committee by a voice vote. H.R. 3593 , Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025, was reported to the full committee by a voice vote. H.R. 2493 , Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025, was reported to the full committee by a voice vote. H.R. 3419 , To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs, was reported to the full committee by a voice vote. H.R. 3302 ,  Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2025, was reported to the full committee by a voice vote. H.R. 2846 , To amend title II of the Public Health Service Act to include as an additional right or privilege of commissioned officers of the Public Health Service (and their beneficiaries) certain leave provided under title 10, United States Code to commissioned officers of the Army (or their beneficiaries), was reported to the full committee by a voice vote. H.R. 4709 ,  Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2025, was reported to the full committee by a voice vote Watch the full markup here . Below are key excerpts from today’s markup: Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01) on the To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs : “This bill reauthorizes the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration. These programs aim to improve access to telehealth services by providing technical assistance and other support methods to providers in rural and frontier communities, so patients in these areas can more easily access necessary telehealth services. Approximately 22,000 patients across the country have benefited from these programs. We must continue these vital resources to help improve health outcomes in underserved communities.” Chairman John Joyce (PA-13) on the Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025: “The Improving Care in Rural America [Reauthorization Act] is legislation that accomplishes something that is so important for the constituents that don't have that access to screening, that don't have that access to care, and it is important that we reauthorize this. Representative Carter, in his legislation, understands that rural America is often left behind. This is a bipartisan piece of legislation that addresses that issue, that understands that we have a responsibility to all of our constituents, to all of America.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, announced a hearing titled Examining Policies to Enhance Seniors’ Access to Breakthrough Medical Technologies. “More than 68 million Americans rely on Medicare for life-saving treatments and critical care. Unfortunately, outdated coverage policies and bureaucratic hurdles can delay or leave seniors without access to the most innovative and effective treatments and services,”  said Congressmen Guthrie and Griffith.  “This hearing will examine policies to establish Medicare coverage of multi-cancer early detection tests, enhance transparency and accountability in the CMS coverage process, and cut red tape to ensure beneficiaries can access the latest breakthrough medical devices and technology.” Subcommittee on Health hearing titled Examining Policies to Enhance Seniors’ Access to Breakthrough Medical Technologies WHAT: Subcommittee on Health hearing to discuss legislation that improves seniors’ access to cutting-edge health innovation. DATE: Thursday, September 18, 2025 TIME: 9:30 AM ET LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building This hearing will focus on the following bills:  H.R. 842 , Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act (Rep. Arrington) H.R. ____ , [Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2025]  H.R. ____ , [To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure transparency in the national coverage determination process under the Medicare program and to make certain adjustments to Medicare local coverage determinations.]  H.R. 3826 , Expanding Access to Diabetes Self-Management Training Act of 2025 (Rep. Schrier) This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. This hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed at energycommerce.house.gov If you have any questions about this hearing, please contact Annabelle Huffman at Annabelle.Huffman@mail.house.gov . If you have any press related questions, please contact Katie West at Katie.West@mail.house.gov .

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, delivered the following opening statement at today’s health subcommittee markup of several public health reauthorization bills. Subcommittee Chairman Griffith's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Today’s markup is a critical step to get these bills across the finish line before they expire at the end of this fiscal year. “The legislative hearing we held in July allowed us to hear from expert witnesses and understand the impact of some of these programs. “Two very important reauthorizations in front of us serve a vital role for our health care workforce, which are the Title VII and Title VIII reauthorizations. “H.R. 4262, the EMPOWER for Health Act, championed by Rep. Schakowsky from Illinois, reauthorizes the Title VII programs that help bolster our physician community by prioritizing recruitment and retention. “This will continue to incentivize more individuals to enter the health workforce and expand access to care in rural and underserved areas. “H.R. 3593, the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act, being led by Rep. David Joyce from Ohio, reauthorizes Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act, which plays a meaningful role in supporting the development of our nation’s nurses. This reauthorization includes many important grant programs that help strengthen the nursing workforce and increase educational opportunities for both nurses and faculty at nursing schools. “The program also allows for loan repayment opportunities that are needed to incentivize more people to enter the nursing workforce. “We have all heard about the need for more health care workers in this country, and the reauthorization of these programs is a step in the right direction toward addressing that need. “Congress will continue to take a close look to ensure these taxpayer-funded programs are properly targeted and allocate resources to areas and patients who need it most. “We are also marking up H.R. 2493, the Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act, an important bill carried by Rep. Carter of Georgia. This bill reauthorizes the Rural Health Services Outreach programs which aim to support and promote health care services in rural areas. “This program was signed into law in 2020 under President Trump’s first administration. It promotes innovative solutions that help people in rural communities get the care they need, such as increased access to preventative health services and screenings, chronic care management, and other forms of care that are needed in our rural areas across the United States. “Another important bill before us today is H.R. 3419, the Telehealth Network and Telehealth Resource Centers Grant Program Reauthorization Act, led by Rep. Valadao from California. This bill helps to increase education of the use of telehealth across the country. “Reauthorizing the Telehealth Resource Centers Grant Program will support our telehealth infrastructure that has become a lifeline for both providers and patients– especially in rural areas. These resource centers serve as the main hub for technical assistance and support for telehealth in their respective regions. “The University of Virginia is currently the resource center for my district and for the Mid-Atlantic region. They have experienced a 24 percent increase in telehealth visits from their program from FY24 to FY25. “This type of increase is happening across the country, and it is likely to continue growing. “As we look to extend telehealth flexibilities this year, we must reauthorize these centers to ensure our states are keeping up with the most recent technology and sharing their expertise so patients can have access to the care they need. “Other reauthorization bills that are before us, being led by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez from New York and Rep. Morrison from Minnesota, will help reduce the rate of infant mortality, improve perinatal outcomes, and expand access to screenings and services for newborns at risk for certain disorders. “Allowing for early newborn screening can save lives, create better outcomes, and reduce long term health care costs. “As we must do with every authorization bill that moves through this committee, we must evaluate the impacts these programs have had, and not only ensure the money is being spent as it was originally intended, but also ensure patient privacy is protected. “Considering each of these reauthorizations is an important step forward to ensure each program is working as intended, and we will continue to examine these programs as we move to full committee. “I look forward to moving these bills out of the health subcommittee.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, issued the following joint statement in response to a newly released Government Accountability Office (GAO) report . The report articulates the need for greater transparency and reporting measures in order to improve the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid’s (CMS) National Coverage Determination (NCD) process for the approximately 68 million beneficiaries under its purview. “The GAO report makes clear that CMS must do more to provide transparency and accountability in its coverage decisions. Seniors should never be left waiting without clear answers about whether Medicare will cover the treatments and services their doctors recommend,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Smith . “Such clarity would also inspire confidence in American innovators to develop the next treatments and cures for patients. Greater openness in the National Coverage Determination process is essential to ensure trust, timely access to care, and confidence that decisions are being made fairly and consistently. We will continue exercising oversight to make sure CMS meets its responsibility to the more than 68 million Americans who rely on Medicare.”  Background:   In its report, GAO found that while CMS generally meets its specified time frames for the coverage determinations it considers, in cases where determinations are not yet considered, there is little to no explanation or specified timeline for when CMS will ultimately make a determination. This means that seniors and their health care providers and innovators are often left in the dark as to whether a particular medication or service is covered by Medicare, which may force patients to delay treatment until a coverage decision is granted by CMS. In a recent example, the Biden-Harris Administration’s CMS used a blanket NCD to restrict Medicare coverage for an entire class of Alzheimer’s treatments despite Food and Drug Administration approval for the same class of drug. The opaque nature of CMS’s current determination process leaves beneficiaries waiting, in some cases years, for access to a treatment or service their doctor has already deemed medically necessary. Highlights from the GAO Report :  CMS has not identified or assessed the causes of delays in coverage determinations.  Some coverage analyses exceeded timelines by as much as 351 days, including reviews of a cancer cell therapy and medical equipment for pain management.   CMS officials acknowledged they do not currently document analysis delays. The GAO report follows a 2023 letter submitted by the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Health and Human Services Secretary and CMS Administrator, highlighting grave concerns with CMS’s coverage process and the need for timelier updates.  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement in response to the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) report released September 9th, which confirmed the 340B Drug Pricing Program encourages behaviors that increase federal spending and raise prices for American taxpayers. Some of those behaviors include incentivizing the prescription of more expensive drugs, reducing negotiated rebates for insurers, and increasing vertical integration among facilities. “Today, the Congressional Budget Office has further validated my long-standing concerns that the 340B program—while an important lifeline to many of our safety net providers—has the ability to be abused and drive-up overall health care costs for Americans,” said Chairman Guthrie. “I’m committed to conducting the necessary work to making sure that the program works for both our safety net providers and patients.” Background from CBO’s Analysis: From 2010 to 2021, spending on drugs purchased through the 340B program grew by an average of 19 percent annually, exceeding the spending growth seen market wide for prescription drug spending. The 340B program is driving up costs for the federal budget by incentivizing clinicians to prescribe more drugs and higher costing drugs and by decreasing manufacturer rebates that otherwise reduce overall patient costs. The 340B program is profitable to covered entities and has been documented as a factor driving vertical consolidation among providers, increasing overall health care costs. The Affordable Care Act both directly and indirectly expanded participation in the 340B program (through expanding eligibility to more hospitals, expanding Medicaid which allowed more hospitals to meet 340B eligibility, and increasing funding for federal grantees), increasing overall spending in the 340B program, raising costs for patients, and further driving 340B-motivated consolidation. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding two Subcommittee Hearings and one Subcommittee Markup. Read more below. SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is holding a hearing to discuss FirstNet and public safety communications. DATE: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 TIME: 10:15 AM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy is holding a hearing to discuss the impact of appliance and building regulations on affordability, consumer choice, and grid reliability. DATE: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 TIME: 2:00 PM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE MARKUP: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a markup of several public health reauthorization bills. DATE: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 TIME: 10:15 AM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, announced a subcommittee markup of several public health reauthorization bills. WHAT : Subcommittee on Health Markup on Public Health Reauthorizations. DATE: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 TIME: 10:15 AM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building Items to be considered: H.R. 4262 , To reauthorize programs related to health professions education, and for other purposes. (Rep. Schakowsky) H.R. 3593 , Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025 (Rep. D. Joyce) H.R. 2493 , Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025 (Rep. Carter of GA) H.R. 3419 , To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs. (Rep. Valadao) H.R. 3302 ,  Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2025 (Rep. Ocasio-Cortez) H.R. 2846 , To amend title II of the Public Health Service Act to include as an additional right or privilege of commissioned officers of the Public Health Service (and their beneficiaries) certain leave provided under title 10, United States Code to commissioned officers of the Army (or their beneficiaries). (Rep. Houlahan) H.R. 4709 , Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2025 (Rep. Morrison) This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at  energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Annabelle Huffman with the Committee staff at  Annabelle.Huffman@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Katie West at  Katie.West@mail.house.gov . ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Examining Opportunities to Advance American Health Care through the Use of Artificial Intelligence Technologies. Chairman Griffith’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:  “Today’s hearing gives us the opportunity to continue the Energy and Commerce Committee’s leadership on artificial intelligence by examining current applications of AI across the health care sector. “Last Congress, this subcommittee held a similar hearing on AI and machine learning. “It is critical that we continue these types of educational hearings to understand the evolving health AI landscape and ensure that Congress keeps up with the many advancements in the space. “Applications of AI and machine learning have increased across the health care sector in recent years and will only play a more pronounced role in the daily lives of all Americans moving forward. “In the health care space today, AI is being deployed by innovators to empower patients along their personal health care journey, support health care providers, and reduce unnecessary administrative burdens. I look forward to learning more about these real-world applications from our panel of experts today. “I also believe as AI applications advance, it is critical that Congress continues to examine this landscape to ensure proper safety and oversight. These AI applications can be hugely beneficial to patients and providers, but they are to assist – and not replace – the clinical workforce today. “I want to briefly highlight a few examples of how AI is being used to improve patient experiences and outcomes in the market today. “Pharmaceutical companies are using AI to help improve core scientific research functions and develop lifesaving treatments and cures, as well as using AI to expedite clinical trials to bring safe and effective medicines to market quicker.  “Insurance companies are using AI to process claims in order to get care to patients quicker. “Physicians and hospitals who have been dealing with documentation burdens are using AI to assist in writing up and consolidating post-visit records, which has helped reduce documentation time by roughly one-third in some cases and allowed for doctors to spend more time with their patients. “Companies who develop medical devices are using machine learning to better understand certain diseases and help advance innovations to deliver more clinically appropriate and effective care interventions. “The Trump Administration has also been forward leaning on advancing AI in the health space and streamlining regulations to increase its application. “I applaud the work of the current administration to incorporate AI in a responsible manner that can help improve care. “To date, the CMS Innovation Center is working to utilize AI and machine learning to identify waste, fraud, and abuse in federal health care systems to root out improper taxpayer spending.  “The FDA has incorporated the use of AI to drastically shorten the time needed to complete certain tasks in their review process. “Researchers at NIH have developed an AI algorithm that modernizes the process of matching potential clinical trial volunteers to suitable trials, cutting down administrative time by 40 percent while maintaining the same level of placement accuracy. “These are only a few examples of the many ways the administration is integrating AI and streamlining the way our American health care system operates. “With all these innovative advancements being leveraged across the American health care ecosystem, it is paramount that we ensure proper oversight is being applied, because the application of AI and machine learning will only increase. “We must ensure that these tools continue to empower – and not replace – the providers that serve our communities across the nation. “These tools should help improve the patient experience and ultimately access to care – particularly in rural areas like the communities I represent in Virginia’s ninth district. “I hope we have a constructive conversation today about the opportunities and the risks that comes with AI and how our Committee should be thinking about the role we can play in helping shape the future of AI in health care. “I am looking forward to hearing more from our witnesses and the members on this subcommittee on the application of AI in health care.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, led a hearing titled Examining Opportunities to Advance American Health Care through the Use of Artificial Intelligence Technologies. “In the health care space today, AI is being deployed by innovators to empower patients along their personal health care journey, support health care providers, and reduce unnecessary administrative burdens,” said Chairman Griffith . “Applications of AI and machine learning have increased across the health care sector in recent years and will only play a more pronounced role in the daily lives of all Americans moving forward.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (TN-01): “Mr. Toy, you mentioned that as far as utilizing your community provider (and your pharmacists) in rural areas, what do you think about [using technology and automation as a platform to expand and reinvigorate the practice of community pharmacy]? ” Mr. Toy : “I think that—and you probably see this in your own practice—there’s not a lot of coordination right now between the actual pharmacist and the physician. Oftentimes, a physician uses their mind, they think about things, they write a script, and then they’re like, ‘Okay, where would you like that filled,’ right? That’s the question they asked the patient. What we want to make sure is that there’s coordination there and make it very easy for the pharmacist to have the same information that was available. The thing that AI can do also is take that same information and customize it—not just to the patient, but customize it to the clinician in question.” Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23): “You know, we’ve been telling people for years how AI is going to aid in drug discovery, how it’s going to aid in diagnosis—predictive diagnoses where there’s pattern recognition and talking about risks you didn’t even know existed—tailored drug therapies that are tailored to your genome... all of these things are what we’ve been promising people that AI is going to do, and we’re coming now to them with ‘It’s going to reduce your administrative costs, and that’s what we’re doing with it right now.’ Should people be disappointed about that, or is this just the first of many things to come?” Mr. Parker: “[...] I’m optimistic that those new experiences will help people be healthier, help them save money. It’s why our implementations are so pragmatic, right? I think everyone’s always talked about how you can’t get a price for anything in health care, so solving that [by] using AI is a very useful utility for the consumer. Similar with the care plans, enabling consumers to be able to manage their health [and] understand what they should be doing as next steps is, to me, what gets me up in the morning—is helping patients realize the value of AI in their everyday life. It’s not to diminish the value that will be created on the administrative side. I think that’s low hanging fruit.” Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23): “AI is no longer a theory about the future. It’s already transforming the way we deliver care, how we diagnose disease, and how we use data to improve outcomes. In my district, in Western New York and in the rural Southern Tier, families are counting on a health care system that’s more efficient, more affordable, and more responsive. AI-driven innovation and technology can help us meet those expectations by reducing administrative burdens, strengthening clinical decision-making, and unlocking discoveries that once took years in a matter of months.” ###