Press Releases

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.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) announces today that Foundation Communities has just received $1.4 million in federal funds through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help Central Texans navigate open enrollment season for health insurance this fall. These funds are an increase of their current $1 million per year three-year grant.

Washington, D.C. – Tomorrow, we will mark six years since 16 lives were lost in the Lockhart hot air balloon crash—when a pilot flying under the influence crashed into a power line, leaving no survivors. This was the deadliest commercial balloon crash in our history, and the worst aviation disaster in America since 2009. For years following the crash, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) pressed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to improve balloon safety by implementing a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendation to mandate medical certificates for commercial pilots, since the NTSB found that the FAA’s refusal to require balloon operators to obtain a medical certificate contributed to the crash on July 30, 2016.

Seizing the Historic Opportunity to Deliver Health Security for Millions of Uninsured Americans Left Out & Left Behind for So Long

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chair of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, released a statement following Senate passage yesterday and House passage today of the CHIPS-plus bill (also known as the Chips and Science Act) about his “yes” vote:

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chair of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, and U.S. Representative Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) just led a group of 83 lawmakers in urging the Biden Administration to issue a national emergency declaration and a Public Health Emergency declaration on abortion access, and to use authorities under the PREP Act to help ensure continued access to medication abortion across the country.