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Three Rep. Jenkins Bills Signed Into Law

Today, President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act into law following the bill’s passage in the House and Senate by overwhelming bipartisan margins. The Act includes three of Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins’ (KS-02) bills, including H.R. 1877, the Mental Health First Aid Act, H.R. 5667, the Rural ACO Provider Equity Act, and H.R. 5613, the Continuing Access To Hospitals Act. After the bill signing, Congresswoman Jenkins released the following statement:  

“Passing the 21st Century Cures Act into law is more than just a symbolic gesture – it is a concrete move towards a brighter future. This legislation holds the potential for many things, from speeding up the development of new drugs to aiming to cure cancer. My bills that were included tackle wide-ranging priorities that affect every American, from rural healthcare services to building a stronger mental health network in America. I have worked on these issues for many years – now with this bill’s passage, I look forward to continuing on from this foundation towards an even stronger American healthcare system in the future.”

Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins’ 3 bills included in the 21st Century Cures Act:

1)     H.R. 5667, Rural ACO Provider Equity Act

·         Under current law, only primary care services provided by a physician count towards an Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) savings score with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

·         This bill will allow health practices in rural Kansas with few physicians to join an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) by allowing health professionals such as Physician Assistants or Nurse Practitioners to perform primary care functions. 

2)     H.R. 5613, CAH Act of 2016

·         This bill requires CMS to continue to instruct Medicare contractors not to enforce requirements for direct physician supervision of outpatient therapeutic services in critical access and small rural hospitals through 2016.

·         You may recall, this bill became law in 2014 and 2015.

3)     H.R. 1877, Mental Health First Aid Act

·         This bill unanimously passed the House of Representatives on September 9, 2016.

·         This bill will help our local firefighters, police officers, and first responders receive training in spotting signs of mental illness so that people in need can get help.

·         As amended, it includes $15 million in funding each year through FY2022.

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