[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 163 (Wednesday, October 11, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H7946-H7948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL CLINICAL CARE COMMISSION ACT
Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(S. 920) to establish a National Clinical Care Commission.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 920
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Clinical Care
Commission Act''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL CLINICAL CARE COMMISSION.
(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established, within the
Department of Health and Human Services, a National Clinical
Care Commission (in this section referred to as the
``Commission'') to evaluate and make recommendations
regarding improvements to the coordination and leveraging of
programs within the Department and other Federal agencies
related to awareness and clinical care for at least one, but
not more than two, complex metabolic or autoimmune diseases
resulting from issues related to insulin that represent a
significant disease burden in the United States, which may
include complications due to such diseases.
(b) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall be composed of the
following voting members:
(A) The heads of the following Federal agencies and
departments, or their designees:
(i) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
(ii) The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
(iii) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(iv) The Indian Health Service.
(v) The Department of Veterans Affairs.
(vi) The National Institutes of Health.
(vii) The Food and Drug Administration.
(viii) The Health Resources and Services Administration.
(ix) The Department of Defense.
(x) The Department of Agriculture.
(xi) The Office of Minority Health.
(B) Twelve additional voting members appointed under
paragraph (2).
(2) Additional members.--The Commission shall include
additional voting members, as may be appointed by the
Secretary, with expertise in the prevention, care, and
epidemiology of any of the diseases and complications
described in subsection (a), including one or more such
members from each of the following categories:
(A) Physician specialties, including clinical
endocrinologists, that play a role in the prevention or
treatment of diseases and complications described in
subsection (a).
(B) Primary care physicians.
(C) Non-physician health care professionals.
(D) Patient advocates.
(E) National experts, including public health experts, in
the duties listed under subsection (c).
(F) Health care providers furnishing services to a patient
population that consists of a high percentage (as specified
by the Secretary) of individuals who are enrolled in a State
plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act or who are
not covered under a health plan or health insurance coverage.
(3) Chairperson.--The members of the Commission shall
select a chairperson from the members appointed under
paragraph (2).
(4) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at least twice,
and not more than four times, a year.
(5) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Commission shall be filled
in the same manner as the original appointments.
(c) Duties.--The Commission shall evaluate and make
recommendations, as appropriate, to the Secretary of Health
and Human Services and Congress regarding--
(1) Federal programs of the Department of Health and Human
Services that focus on preventing and reducing the incidence
of the diseases and complications described in subsection
(a);
(2) current activities and gaps in Federal efforts to
support clinicians in providing integrated, high-quality care
to individuals with the diseases and complications described
in subsection (a);
(3) the improvement in, and improved coordination of,
Federal education and awareness activities related to the
prevention and treatment of the diseases and complications
described in subsection (a), which may include the
utilization of new and existing technologies;
(4) methods for outreach and dissemination of education and
awareness materials that--
(A) address the diseases and complications described in
subsection (a);
(B) are funded by the Federal Government; and
(C) are intended for health care professionals and the
public; and
(5) whether there are opportunities for consolidation of
inappropriately overlapping or duplicative Federal programs
related to the diseases and complications described in
subsection (a).
(d) Operating Plan.--Not later than 90 days after its first
meeting, the Commission shall submit to the Secretary of
Health and Human Services and the Congress an operating plan
for carrying out the activities of the Commission as
described in subsection (c). Such operating plan may
include--
(1) a list of specific activities that the Commission plans
to conduct for purposes of carrying out the duties described
in each of the paragraphs in subsection (c);
(2) a plan for completing the activities;
(3) a list of members of the Commission and other
individuals who are not members of the Commission who will
need to be involved to conduct such activities;
(4) an explanation of Federal agency involvement and
coordination needed to conduct such activities;
(5) a budget for conducting such activities; and
(6) other information that the Commission deems
appropriate.
(e) Final Report.--By not later than 3 years after the date
of the Commission's first meeting, the Commission shall
submit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the
Congress a final report containing all of the findings and
recommendations required by this section.
(f) Sunset.--The Commission shall terminate 60 days after
submitting its final report, but not later than the end of
fiscal year 2021.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Olson) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and insert extraneous material in the Record.
[[Page H7947]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 920, the National Clinical
Care Commission Act, a bipartisan bill that has received unanimous
support within both the House and the Senate Chambers. S. 920 is the
Senate companion to my bill, H.R. 309, which is cosponsored by over
half of my House colleagues.
It has this level of support because our Nation faces an epidemic.
Diabetes or prediabetes affects over 100 million Americans. Nearly one
in three of our neighbors is affected.
This legislation will also help many others who are affected by other
diseases like heart disease, obesity, and many others.
When I first came to Congress in 2009, it was crystal clear that we
had a big problem. The benefits of all the Federal research dollars
going into these diseases were simply not making their way to patients.
Researchers at the NIH, the CDC, the DOD, the VA, and the FDA weren't
sharing diabetes research. Who knows? Sharing information may have put
us on a path to cure diabetes.
It was clear then, and it is still clear today: we need a laser-like
approach to improve patient care by pursuing a strong Federal focus on
research.
This bill accomplishes that goal by creating a National Clinical Care
Commission comprised of doctors who specialize in diabetes care for
patients.
This commission will have 3 years to strengthen the partnership
between Federal stakeholders and health professionals who will bring
hands-on, clinical experience to improve care.
This is not a new, unending bureaucracy. After 3 years, this
commission will sunset. In 3 years, it will be gone.
We have already made such a huge investment of taxpayer dollars into
research. It is time to leverage that investment into meaningful
prevention and effective treatment options.
President Reagan once said: ``There is no limit to the amount of good
you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.''
That is why I stand here today in strong support of my bill, which
became Senator Shaheen's bill, because this bill will help so many
Americans who are suffering from diabetes.
So today I ask my colleagues to again help all those who suffer from
diabetes and other complex metabolic and autoimmune disorders by voting
for S. 920.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 920, the National Clinical Care
Commission Act.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation aims to help improve Federal efforts to
treat and to prevent metabolic and autoimmune disorders related to
insulin.
The most common metabolic disorder in the U.S. is diabetes, which
affects more than 25 million Americans. Another 86 million Americans
have prediabetes, a condition associated with an increased risk of
developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Mr. Speaker, diabetes takes a huge toll on human health; in fact, it
is the seventh leading cause of death in our Nation.
Additionally, Mr. Speaker, all too often diabetes leads to avoidable
complications, such as blindness, such as limb amputation, and also
kidney failure.
In addition to the effects on human health, Mr. Speaker, diabetes
care makes up a large percentage of U.S. healthcare expenditure.
Mr. Speaker, currently $1 of every $5 of healthcare cost is spent
caring for people with diabetes. The proportion of Medicare funding is
even greater than this. Currently, $1 of every $3 of Medicare
expenditure is spent caring for people with diabetes.
{time} 1500
Mr. Speaker, that is why it is important to improve the Federal
efforts that prevent avoidable cases of diabetes and other metabolic
disorders, and to ensure that all Americans have the treatment and the
management services necessary to successfully manage this and other
similar conditions.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation was previously passed in the 114th
Congress and again at the beginning of the 115th Congress. I am pleased
to see that the Senate took action on this legislation to support
passage of this bill into law.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on S. 920, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of S. 920, the
National Clinical Care Commission Act, sponsored by Senator Shaheen.
This legislation has been around for a while. It has been championed
in the House by our good friend and fellow Texan, Representative Pete
Olson, as H.R. 309. This bill has strong bipartisan support. It passed
this House unanimously earlier this year.
Diabetes and other endocrine disorders have been a great cost burden
on Medicare and, in fact, our Nation's healthcare system in general.
Thirty million Americans have diabetes, 84 million Americans have
prediabetes, and three out of four Americans on Medicare have diabetes
or prediabetes. And $1 out of every $3 Medicare spends is spent on
diabetes.
This bill will establish a clinical care commission to evaluate and
recommend solutions for better coordination and use of Federal programs
aimed at improving care for people with diabetes and other related
endocrine disorders. This commission will be tasked with identifying
gaps where new approaches are needed, eliminating duplication across
Federal agencies, and leveraging the Federal resources and tools
available to enhance the quality of patient care.
I am confident their work will improve the lives of tens of millions
of Americans living with diabetes and with other endocrine disorders
while beginning the process of reducing the staggering impact of these
diseases.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to thank and commend our colleague,
Representative Pete Olson, for spearheading this important initiative.
I want to thank him for bringing it to the floor of the House as many
times as he has. This has been a lengthy process, but today, with the
passage of this bill, we are voting on final passage, and this bill
will be sent to the President's desk for signature. Mr. Speaker, Mr.
Olson's long and arduous journey now will be completed with the passage
of this bill, and we should all look forward to that.
Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Loebsack).
Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Illinois (Mr.
Rush) for yielding time to me today to speak on this important bill.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in strong support of S. 920, the
National Clinical Care Commission Act. S. 920, as was mentioned
already, creates a commission comprised of clinical endocrinologists,
other physician specialists, primary care physicians, healthcare
professionals, patients, and representatives from the Federal agencies
most involved in diabetes care.
The commission is charged with making recommendations to streamline
Federal investments in diabetes, to improve the coordination and
clinical care outcomes for people with diabetes, prediabetes, and other
insulin-related metabolic and autoimmune diseases.
Passage of this legislation will help the Nation undertake more and
innovative approaches to diabetes and its disease complications, for
which the United States spends some $322 billion annually.
I urge the Secretary also to move expeditiously to set up the
commission so it can begin its important work as soon as possible.
Clinical training and expertise in diabetes and other insulin-related
diseases will be needed to lead the commission, and it is my hope that
a clinical endocrinologist will be chosen to serve as the chairperson
of the commission. I think that is very important.
With a clinical endocrinologist as chair and representatives from
other medical specialities, healthcare professions, and patient
advocacy groups, serving alongside with Federal diabetes experts, the
commission created under S. 920 will help to ensure that new innovative
medications and devices are
[[Page H7948]]
effectively translated to the clinical setting for the benefit of
patients. That clinical translation is so important.
The work of the commission will help improve the lives of the tens of
millions of Americans living with diabetes while simultaneously
beginning the process of reducing the staggering impact of diabetes and
its disease complications and the dollars that, as has already been
mentioned, are associated with that.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank in particular Representative Olson for
his persistence, as was already mentioned, and for sponsoring this bill
in the House. I was very happy to lead the way as the Democrat on this
side of the aisle on this bill, and for my colleagues on both sides of
the aisle who supported this bill that enabled House passage of the
legislation earlier, as was mentioned, and now we are finally going to
get it over the finish line. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Olson
in particular for his efforts on this.
Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Iowa for those kind
words, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, again, short and sweet. This is a good bill.
It is the first step towards actually funding a cure for diabetes.
Maybe we will do that. By the way, it leaves here and will be signed
into law before this week ends. I urge my colleagues to vote ``aye''
when this vote comes up for a final passage vote.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, S. 920.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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