Index for HR3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act

To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.

Mr. Dingell (for himself, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Waxman, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Stark, Mr. Pallone, and Mr. Andrews) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Part B of title II (42 U.S.C. 238 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(a) Establishment.—Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish and implement a national pain care education outreach and awareness campaign described in subsection (b).

“(b) Requirements.—The Secretary shall design the public awareness campaign under this section to educate consumers, patients, their families, and other caregivers with respect to—

“(1) the incidence and importance of pain as a national public health problem;

“(2) the adverse physical, psychological, emotional, societal, and financial consequences that can result if pain is not appropriately assessed, diagnosed, treated, or managed;

“(3) the availability, benefits, and risks of all pain treatment and management options;

“(4) having pain promptly assessed, appropriately diagnosed, treated, and managed, and regularly reassessed with treatment adjusted as needed;

“(5) the role of credentialed pain management specialists and subspecialists, and of comprehensive interdisciplinary centers of treatment expertise;

“(6) the availability in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors of pain management-related information, services, and resources for consumers, employers, third-party payors, patients, their families, and caregivers, including information on—

“(A) appropriate assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management options for all types of pain and pain-related symptoms; and

“(B) conditions for which no treatment options are yet recognized; and

“(7) other issues the Secretary deems appropriate.

“(c) Consultation.—In designing and implementing the public awareness campaign required by this section, the Secretary shall consult with organizations representing patients in pain and other consumers, employers, physicians including physicians specializing in pain care, other pain management professionals, medical device manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies.

“(d) Coordination.—

“(1) LEAD OFFICIAL.—The Secretary shall designate one official in the Department of Health and Human Services to oversee the campaign established under this section.

“(2) AGENCY COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall ensure the involvement in the public awareness campaign under this section of the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and such other representatives of offices and agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services as the Secretary determines appropriate.

“(e) Underserved areas and populations.—In designing the public awareness campaign under this section, the Secretary shall—

“(1) take into account the special needs of geographic areas and racial, ethnic, gender, age, and other demographic groups that are currently underserved; and

“(2) provide resources that will reduce disparities in access to appropriate diagnosis, assessment, and treatment.

“(f) Grants and contracts.—The Secretary may make awards of grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to public agencies and private nonprofit organizations to assist with the development and implementation of the public awareness campaign under this section.

“(g) Evaluation and Report.—Not later than the end of fiscal year 2012, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Congress a report evaluating the effectiveness of the public awareness campaign under this section in educating the general public with respect to the matters described in subsection (b).

“(h) Authorization of appropriations.—For purposes of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2011 and $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 and 2015.”.