Healthcare

Austin, TX—Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) announced over $1 million in federal funds to Black Mamas ATX through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Healthy Start Program, which will be used to enhance community-based operations and further support prenatal and postpartum services for mothers.

Washington, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee, released the following statement following the Biden Administration’s announcement of finalized minimum nurse staffing standards:

Washington, D.C.—A day before the State of the Union address, the House Ways & Means Committee adopted H.R. 7513, a bill to undermine the Biden Administration’s promise to deliver modest, long-overdue minimum safe staffing standards for nursing homes. U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Ranking Member of the Health Subcommittee, slammed the legislation, which was opposed by Democrats, for abandoning residents, who are suffering from insufficient nursing care in facilities that often prioritize profits over fair wages and resident well-being.

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with 75 colleagues, led a joint effort in urging the Biden Administration to strengthen and finalize its guidance to protect taxpayers and lower prescription drug prices. Specifically, the members submitted a public comment calling for changes to the “Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March-In Rights” to ensure increased transparency, oversight, and accessibility of medical products invented through taxpayer-funded research and development.

Washington, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee, and a longtime advocate for a federal response to prescription price gouging who previously sought use of “march-in” taxpayer protection authority on pharmaceuticals, responded to the Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March-In Rights:

Washington, D.C.—In a surprising new email obtained by Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin), Governor Greg Abbott’s Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) offers only a raffle and “6 Days of Merry Service” to resolve the growing backlog in Medicaid and SNAP applications. Beginning today, an overburdened and demoralized workforce must complete 15 hours of overtime in six days to be entered into a raffle, on top of an already mandated monthly 20 hours of overtime required during the past three years. Today, Rep. Doggett is again urging Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to fulfill federal enforcement responsibilities and require a comprehensive corrective action plan from Texas HHSC, implemented under federal supervision, to ensure timely assistance to Texans in need.

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representatives Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee, Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and 101 lawmakers urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to strengthen and finalize the proposed Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting rule.

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (TX-37) and the entire Texas Democratic delegation have renewed their urgent request that the Biden Administration pause procedural terminations of Medicaid coverage until a comprehensive audit of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s (HHSC) faulty system is conducted and brought into full compliance with federal law. Just after this request, a third whistleblower letter from HHSC staff was forwarded to Governor Abbott, who has remained silent about his Administration’s failures throughout the Medicaid redetermination process. This letter expresses deep concern about significant procedural delays and erroneous coverage denials.