On November 4, 2015, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee approved the following health policy bills:

  • HR 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act – includes a series of reforms intended to improve federal mental health research, screening, and treatment programs, some of which have met with strong opposition from House Democrats.
  • HR 2446, to require states to have in place an electronic visit verification system for personal care services furnished under the Medicaid program.
  • HR 3014, the Medical Controlled Substances Transportation Act — to allow registered physicians who enter into an agreement with the Drug Enforcement Agency to transport and administer controlled substances to patients at other practice settings and disaster areas.
  • HR 3537, Synthetic Drug Control Act of 2015 – to require the scheduling of certain specified synthetic drug substances in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
  • HR 3716, the Ensuring Terminated Providers Are Removed from Medicaid and CHIP Act – to implement several HHS OIG recommendations to improve CMS oversight of terminated providers and state screening of providers.
  • HR 3821, the Medicaid Directory of Caregivers Act – to require state Medicaid websites to include a directory of physicians who served Medicaid patients in the prior year.