- Significant progress has been made on key STS advocacy priorities in the House of Representatives.
- One key accomplishment was the House passage of the Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act.
- This critical legislation allows clinician-led registries, such as the STS National Database, to access federal claims data for quality improvement and research.
- Another legislative milestone was enacting the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act.
- STS is preparing for a busy legislative period post-election to continue advancing the interests of CT surgeons and their patients.
Congress recently passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through Dec. 20, providing a reprieve before another potential budget showdown. Despite the urgency of keeping the government running, significant progress has been made on key STS advocacy priorities in the House of Representatives.
One major win was the unanimous House passage of the Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act to improve access to out-of-state healthcare for children by streamlining Medicaid provider screening and enrollment. This bipartisan bill ─ led by STS champions Reps. Lori Trahan (D-MA) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD (R-IA) ─ now heads to the Senate for further consideration.
In collaboration with STS, Reps. Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN), Kim Schrier, MD (D-WA), and Derek Kilmer (D-WA) introduced H.R. 9805, the Access to Claims Data Act. This critical legislation allows clinician-led registries, such as the STS National Database, to access federal claims data for quality improvement and research—an essential step forward in advancing patient care.
Another important legislative milestone was enacting the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act, to extend funding for the CDC’s National Congenital Heart Disease Research, Surveillance, and Awareness Program for five more years. This bill has cleared both the House and Senate and now awaits President Biden's signature.
Lastly, Dr. Keith Horvath, vice-chair of the STS Council on Health Policy and Relationships, recently met with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the top Republican on the committee currently debating reforms to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Their in-depth discussion focused on potential reforms to improve NIH operations and advance medical research—a vital priority for STS and the broader medical community.
As Congress enters its recess for the election season, STS is preparing for a busy legislative period post-election to continue advancing the interests of cardiothoracic surgeons and their patients.