Pallone Announces More than $3 million to NJ Community Health Centers

Grants Will Help Uninsured Gain Coverage

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced $3,387,083 in grant awards from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to New Jersey health centers to enroll the uninsured in new health coverage options made available by the Affordable Care Act. New Jersey’s health centers served 467,913 patients last year, 43 percent of whom were uninsured. The health centers in New Jersey that are awarded these funds expect to hire 69 additional workers, who will assist 73,201 people with enrollment into affordable health insurance coverage.

“Community health centers are an absolutely essential tool in expanding coverage to 30 million more Americans as part of the Affordable Care Act, and these grants will be instrumental in New Jersey’s effort,” said Congressman Pallone. “With these awards, uninsured consumers will get help understanding their coverage options through the new Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.”

The following grants will be awarded in New Jersey’s Sixth Congressional District:

• $117,619 to Monmouth Family Health Center in Long Branch
• $180,649 to the Jewish Renaissance Medical Center in Perth Amboy
• $138,849 to the UMDNJ – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway
• $100,635 to Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey Community Health in Asbury Park

“Community health centers attend to the unique health needs of hard-to-reach populations and have a significant impact by improving health in our communities. These health centers provide a fundamental value and a huge return on investment to the health care system and the country as a whole,” added Pallone.

The grants to New Jersey came as part of a larger $150 million awarded by HHS to health centers in all 50 states to help individuals apply for health coverage. For a full list of health centers receiving this funding, click here.

Pallone to Introduce Bill to Prevent Medicare Prescription Drug Abuse and Fraud

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health announced that he is set to introduce legislation to address new reports of inappropriate payments for prescriptions of controlled substances in Medicare’s Part D program.

“Prescription drug abuse is an epidemic,” said Pallone. “Millions of Americans benefit from Medicare’s drug coverage program each year, which is why it’s imperative that checks are in place to prevent fraud and abuse as well as to protect patients. We cannot allow Medicare’s prescription drug program to be compromised at taxpayer expense. My bill, the Part D Prescription Drug Integrity Act of 2013, will strengthen the Medicare law to help address potential factors contributing to prescription drug abuse.”

Under Medicare Part D, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) contracts with private insurance companies, known as plan sponsors, to provide prescription drug coverage to beneficiaries who choose to enroll. Pallone’s bill would require plan sponsors to verify that a prescription for a drug on the Controlled Substances list was made by an authorized physician before paying for the drug. Under the current law, such a requirement does not exist.

The bill would also require plan sponsors to have drug utilization programs in place that would restrict access if there was credible evidence of beneficiaries abusing or diverting drugs. Most state Medicaid programs have utilization programs, but similar guidelines are not in place for most Part D beneficiaries. In addition, the bill will provide the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) new tools to prevent the payment of claims by fraudulent prescribers or pharmacies.

Pallone wrote his bill on the heels of a HHS Office of Inspector General’s report released last month, which found that Medicare is paying for prescription drugs prescribed by unauthorized individuals including massage therapists, athletic trainers, social workers and interpreters. Given that tens of thousands of these drugs were controlled substances, the study’s findings raise questions about patient safety because of the potential for prescription drug abuse.

Prescription drug abuse has emerged as a serious and growing problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 20,000 deaths occur each year due to the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs and one in 20 Americans say they have used prescription painkillers for non-medical reasons in the last year.

OVER 1.4 MILLION WOMEN IN NEW JERSEY NOW HAVE ACCESS TO PREVENTIVE CARE

For Immediate Release:

Wednesday, August 1^st, 2012

ObamaCare Allows Women to Take Control of Their Health

(NEW JERSEY) - "Beginning today, some 1,445,004 New Jersey women can now take greater control over their health by having access to life-saving preventive care free-of-charge. Thanks to ObamaCare, 47 million women nationwide will be able to have prevention-related health care services at no cost.

"This is a great day for women in New Jersey and a great step forward for women's health," said Joshua Henne, New Jersey spokesman for Know Your Care. "No woman should ever have to make health decisions due to cost concerns. Because of the Affordable Care Act, women now have access to important preventive measures that will go a long way towards keeping both themselves and their families healthy. When we talk about access to care - this is exactly what we mean."

For the first time ever, New Jersey women will be granted access to potentially life-saving tests and services, without having to worry about price. No longer will women in New Jersey be at the disposal of their insurance companies. Instead, they'll be able to take control of their well-being and make decisions to best stay healthy, catch possibly serious conditions early and protect themselves and their families from colossal medical bills.

As Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebeluis put it, "President Obama is moving our country forward by giving women control over their health care. This law puts women and their doctors, not insurance companies or the government, in charge of health care decisions."

Preventive care is especially important for women, who face significant and unique barriers to finding affordable healthcare. On average, women earn just 77 cents for every dollar a man earns - leaving them with less money to spend on health care. Studies showing that over 50% of women have skipped or delayed preventive care due to costs. Women are more likely to skip a recommended test or treatment, not fill a prescription or put off regular cancer screenings due to cost. Even moderate co-pays can cause women - especially those with low- and moderate-incomes - to forgo needed preventive care.

Over the next few years, as an increasing number of health plans come under the Affordable Care Act's reach, more and more women will have access to a wide range of preventive services without co-payments or deductibles, including: 

• Well-woman visits
• Breastfeeding support, supplies and counseling
• Contraceptive methods and counseling
• Screening and counseling for domestic partner violence
• Screening for gestational diabetes (helping protect pregnant women from one of the most serious pregnancy-related diseases)
• Counseling for sexually transmitted infections
• Screening for HIV
• DNA testing for high-risk strains of HPV  

Based on recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, these new provisions relied on physicians, nurses, scientists and other experts, as well as evidence-based research, to determine the services that are critical to ensuring women's long-term health. These vital preventative services will allow women to take their health into their own hands and get the care they need before it's too late.

To learn more about the health care services you may be eligible for at no extra charge under the ACA, go to http://www.healthcare.gov/prevention

For information about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report on the number of adult and adolescent women in New Jersey eligible for the preventive services at no charge after Aug. 1, 2012, see http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2012/womensPreventiveServicesACA/ib.shtml

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The Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23rd, 2010 and declared constitutional by the Supreme Court on June 28th, 2012. Over the past two years, it has been a tremendous help to millions of Americans as this real reform lowers costs and guarantees more choice for consumers. As additional provisions are implemented, ACA will continue to benefit millions more people.

Pallone Condemns GOP’s Ongoing Agenda to Weaken EPA

Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. on Wednesday decried the latest efforts from House Republicans to roll back crucial regulations that preserve and protect the environment. Under the guise of creating jobs and protecting the border, the proposals put forth by Republicans would roll back historic advances in environmental protection and harm public health by blocking the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to enforce rules that prevent hazardous air pollution from entering the air, dangerous materials such as mercury from entering the water supply and our ability to protect the iconic bald eagle from extinction.

“If House Republicans had their way, federal lands that are a national treasure would no longer be protected and polluters would no longer be accountable with the false and misleading claim they are securing the border,” said Pallone. “Americans should be outraged at this latest in a string of attacks against EPA. Congress should focus on creating jobs above all else such as moving forward with the American Jobs Act.”

The National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act, which was rushed through the Natural Resources Committee, would waive over 35 environmental laws that protect historic sites, endangered species and air and water quality, based on the fallacy that they interfere with Customs and Border Patrol agents’ ability to protect the border.

The assault on the environment continued on the House floor today with consideration of a Republican bill that would weaken EPA’s ability to regulate pollution from cement kilns that incinerate waste and release some of the most harmful pollutants including mercury and acid gases.

Pallone offered an amendment that would weaken the disastrous effects of this legislation on public health. His amendment would prevent the bill from going into effect if it interferes with the Department of Health and Human Service’s goal of reducing our children’s exposure to mercury.

“Republicans have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at EPA today in an effort to weaken regulations that are vital to public health. The effect of both of these pieces of legislation becoming law would be higher prevalence of asthma, heart attacks and chronic bronchitis and hundreds of acres less of federally protected lands for Americans to enjoy. That’s a bleak landscape,” Pallone added.

Pallone Announces Funding to Expand Community Health Center Services in NJ

Washington, D. C. – Congressman Pallone Friday announced grant awards totaling $10 million to help 129 organizations across the country become community health centers. In New Jersey, the Jewish Renaissance Foundation in Perth Amboy and the Saint Peter’s Healthcare System in New Brunswick each received $80,000 to support the transition to becoming a community health center.

“Community health centers attend to the unique health needs of hard-to-reach populations and have a significant impact improving health in our communities,” said Pallone. “New Brunswick residents will benefit from better access to the low-cost, preventive and primary health care services that will be offered at a new location.”

In addition to providing important health care services, creating new community health centers will also create jobs. Since the beginning of 2009, health centers across the country have added more than 18,600 new full-time positions in many of the nation’s most economically distressed communities. In 2010, they employed more than 131,000 staff and new funds made available by the Department of Health and Human Services will help create more jobs nationwide.

Over the past year, Republicans have threatened funding for community health centers across the country which would force many of them to shutter. Pallone remains committed to making sure community health centers continue to be available for those who rely on them.

“Closing community health centers is an unacceptable option, especially when big corporations continue to receive millions in tax cuts. I will continue fighting to preserve community health centers and to expand accessibility to these vital services.”

Senator Menendez Hails Launch of New Health Care Website

Are you still confused about the new health care legislation? If you think back to last summer we were hearing from those that vehemently opposed health care reform to the extant that they would show up at town hall meetings just to disrupt it and prevent our Congressmen from explaining what it contained.

Now that it has passed many still do not understand what it means to them. Senator Menendez has informed us that there is a website that you can go to for answers to your questions or just find out what it is all about.

The following is from Senator Menendez's E-Newsletter:




At the heart of health insurance reform law is the idea that families who for too long have paid too much for inadequate health insurance deserve set of new rights, based on common sense principles. One of those common sense ideas is that families should not have to navigate a confusing and unorganized health insurance system to understand all of the insurance options and rights available to them, they deserve to be able to find out about all of their options and rights in one, easy-to-navigate place.

For that reason, today marks an important milestone in the enactment of the Health Insurance Reform Law. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has unveiled HealthCare.gov, an innovative new on-line tool, created under the Health Insurance Reform Law, that connects families with new state-specific information and resources, helping them take control of their health insurance situation and gain access to quality, affordable coverage. This website has been setup to answer all of your questions about the law and how it impacts your family. In addition it is the first website to provide consumers with local public and private health coverage options tailored specifically for their needs in a single, easy-to-use tool. As a proud supporter of this legislation I am thrilled to see that such an easy to use website has been developed to help educate New Jerseyans on this new law and their local health care options.

For additional information about the Health Insurance Reform Law I encourage you to visit my website and click here. I have set up this page up to be clearinghouse of information on the law so please continue to check it regularly as I will be posting new information to this page as it becomes available.

Video: President Obama on the Final March for Reform

President Obama calls on supporters to help finish the fight for health reform.



Giving Peace of Mind Back to the American People
Posted by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on March 04, 2010 at 05:53 PM EST

The urgency of health reform couldn’t be more clear.

Across the country, working families have been saddled with huge rate increase in their health insurance premiums. In California, consumers were informed of rate hikes as high as 39 percent, and in Michigan, insurers sought a 56 percent increase and this is happening across the country.

This is unacceptable, particularly at a time when families are struggling to make ends meet and the largest insurers took in more than $12 billion in profits last year alone. The American people want to understand why their premiums are skyrocketing while some companies are doing well. And they deserve a clear and accurate explanation.

I just got out of a meeting where I asked leaders from big insurance companies for answers. I hosted a discussion with the CEOs of UnitedHealth Group Inc., WellPoint Inc., Aetna Inc., Health Care Service Corporation and CIGNA HealthCare Inc., along with leaders from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. I asked them to explain why these crushing burdens are being placed on middle-class families and what we can do to lower costs.

I also asked the CEOs to post the actuarial justification for these stunning rate increases online in an easy-to-understand manner, so that consumers can see why premiums are skyrocketing to the point that some people in the individual market can no longer afford coverage. I hope they will act quickly and make this information available to all of us. If insurance companies are going to raise rates, the least they can do is tell us why.


President Barack Obama reads a letter he received from Natoma Canfield of Medina, Ohio, during a meeting with insurance company executives hosted by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in the Roosevelt Room of the White House March 4, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

But families deserve more. They need to know how we can prevent these increases from happening in the future. Families want to be responsible and buy health insurance. They’re willing to pay a fair price. They understand that health care is not cheap.

But they don’t want to be afraid every time they open a letter from their insurer that their premiums are going up $7,000 a year. Or that their application has been rejected because they take a medicine for high blood pressure. Or that their insurance is being cancelled because of a mistake on their paperwork.

The point of health insurance is to give people peace of mind, and they’re not getting it. The system we have is failing them.

President Obama has offered a health insurance reform proposal to help working families and small business owners. It will hold insurance companies accountable by laying out common-sense rules of the road to keep premiums down, prevent insurance industry abuses and outlaw discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions.

Reform also includes key provisions that will protect consumers from unjustified premium increases. Building upon existing state practices, the President’s plan includes a new Federal authority to force insurers to justify their rate increases, provide additional support for states that already do rate reviews, and help those states that don’t currently review increases on their own.

Right now, in 21 states, insurance companies can raise rates without any oversight, no questions asked, and consumers suffer. Reform will change the rules and help stop exorbitant increases.

And the President’s plan will help reduce costs and require insurance companies to dedicate more of the premiums dollars they collect to actual care instead of profits, CEO salaries and advertising. If they don’t spend enough on actual care, they’ll be required to send rebate checks to consumers.

Comprehensive reform is a necessary step to fix our broken health insurance market. Holding the insurance industry accountable is one step in that direction.

Kathleen Sebelius is Secretary of Health and Human Services

Lautenberg, Menendez Announce More Than $1.9 Million to Improve Health Care, Promote Medical Research in New Jersey

Both U.S. Sens. from New Jeresy,  Frank Lautenburg and Bob Menedez, issued a joint press release today to announce that the Department of Health and Human services has awarded more than $1.9 million in federal funds to three New Jersey research institutions to provide health services to state residents and increase their medical research. The funds will help support support community health centers, new research on the human genome and breast cancer:

Newark, NJ – U.S. Sens. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced the Department of Health and Human Services awarded more than $1.9 million in federal funds to three New Jersey research institutions to provide health services to state residents and increase their medical research. The funding will expand community health care centers at UMDNJ’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and fund new research on the human genome, sepsis and breast cancer.

“By funding this critical research, we are creating jobs and helping our residents avoid life-threatening diseases,” Sen. Lautenberg said. “These awards will go a long way to protecting the next generation and helping them build a healthy future.”

“Our state has always been a leader in innovation, which expands the job market and makes a difference in our lives,” said Senator Menendez. “These federal funds will not only advance the search for cures, they help produce the groundbreaking discoveries that benefit patients in need as well as our state’s economy.”

University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School

· $949,245 to fund health centers.
· $553,800 to study the shock, trauma, and origin of sepsis.

Rutgers
· $266,859 for continuation of research into the human genome through creating of chromatin structures.
· $168,521 to work on cancer detection and diagnosis research for breast cancer.