A number of Congressional panels have held hearings this month on health policy issues, including Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearings entitled “First, Do No Harm: Improving Health Quality and Patient Safety” and “Diverting Non-Urgent Emergency Room Use: Providing Better Care and Lower Costs.” Both the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health and the House Ways and Means Committee have examined reform of the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate/physician fee schedule formula. In addition, the House Education and the Workforce Committee held a hearing on “Policies and Priorities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.” Looking ahead, on May 17, the HELP Committee has scheduled a hearing on “Strengthening Medical and Public Health Preparedness and Response.”