Healthcare

Washington, D.C. – Just now, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) released the following statement regarding the announcement today from Health and Human Services (HHS) releasing key dates for the first year of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program:

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chair of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, released a statement regarding tonight’s release of the Calendar Year 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which includes a modest expansion of dental coverage for Medicare beneficiaries—as Rep. Doggett has pressed for. He said:

Austin, T.X. – As Texas remains the most uninsured state and thousands of our neighbors lack health insurance, Wednesday, October 26, at 10 AM, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin), Chair of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, will join Foundation Communities, Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), Travis County Judge Andy Brown, and Council Member Vanessa Fuentes to share resources for Central Texans at the start of Open Enrollment, when families can sign up to get Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage. Open enrollment for 2023 Health Insurance Marketplace plans runs from November 1, 2022 to January 15, 2023.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chair of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, released the following statement regarding the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee’s markup yesterday and approval of, HR 3655, the Vaccine Injury Compensation Modernization Act.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chair of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, and U.S. Representative Nanette Barragán (D-CA) led 107 Members in submitting comments supporting the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule to expand Medicare coverage for medically necessary dental care. The Members welcomed CMS’s proposal and encouraged the agency to expand coverage even further to the broadest range of services possible.

Washington, D.C. –  U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chair of the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee, U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Task Force on Aging & Families, led over 30 Members in responding to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Request for Information on the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. Taxpayers spend an average of $1,538 more per beneficiary in Medicare Advantage than would have otherwise been spent by Traditional Medicare—amounting to $12 billion in overpayments in a single year. Despite this significant cost, regulators have received numerous complaints regarding access to care and quality of coverage under MA. The Members urge significant reforms to prevent delays and medically unnecessary restrictions on access to care, rein in aggressive marketing tactics, reduce waste of billions of taxpayer dollars in overpayments, and to terminate the ACO REACH program, which unwillingly places beneficiaries in arrangements similar to Medicare Advantage.