Congressman Scott strongly supports major investments in disease awareness and prevention, especially in our nation’s most marginalized communities. He has fought to lower the price of insulin to $35 per month, provide the authority for Medicare to negotiate drug prices, and for expanding Medicaid and ACA coverage to millions of Americans. Rep. Scott believes that equipping healthcare providers with the necessary knowledge and resources to successfully aid patients is key to ensuring America’s health security.
Protecting Marginalized Communities
In May ‘23, Rep. Scott sponsored H.R. 3347, the Protect Lifesaving Anesthesia Care for Veterans Act, which prohibits the VA from removing expert physician anesthesiologists from the best care model offered at Emory, Johns Hopkins, and other top hospitals.
To protect women’s right to reproductive freedom Rep. Scott cosponsored H.R. 12, the Women’s Health Protection Act in May 2023, and H.R. 782, the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act in February 2023.
Rep. Scott cosponsored H.R. 3305, the Black Maternal Momnibus Act, which would direct multiple agencies to improve maternal health, with a particular focus on racial and ethnic minority group, veterans, and other vulnerable populations.
In March ‘24, he sent a letter the GA Department of Corrections urging the prioritization of human rights, dignity, and to improve the quality of care for incarcerated individuals.
Rep. Scott submitted a Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 request for $102.5 million for Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) to preserve the CDC’s leading initiative to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes.
Medicare and Medicaid
To allow the CMS to cover early detection screening tests Rep. Scott cosponsored H.R. 2407, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act.
Rep. Scott supports H.R.33, the Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act, which would provide coverage of dental, vision, and hearing care through Medicare.
Allowing local governments to expand Medicaid when their states have no is a necessity to ensuring quality care for millions of Americans. That is why Rep. Scott cosponsored H.R.31, the Cover Outstanding Vulnerable Expansion-eligible Residents Now Act.
Addressing Diseases
Due to the increasing concern of gun violence, in May 2023 Rep. Scott cosponsored H. Res. 348, Declaring gun violence a public health crisis. Rep. Scott also requested the CDC and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Gun Violence Research be provided the funding level in President Biden’s Budget Request.
Rep. Scott requested an increased FY 2024 funding level to $51 billion for NIH. NIH research plays a key role in domestic job creation, economic growth, and bettering millions of American lives.
In March 2023, Rep. Scott sponsored H.Res.217, Supporting the designation of March 2023 as Endometriosis Awareness Month.
In September 2023, Rep. Scott sponsored H.Res.678, Recognizing the seriousness of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and expressing support for the designation of the month of September 2023 as "PCOS Awareness Month".
In July 2023, he cosponsored H.R.4572, the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act, directing HHS to expand research on uterine fibroids.
Rep. Scott requested the Colorectal Research Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) be provided with $51 million in FY 2024. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men and women combined in the United States.
Family and Children’s Health Care
In May 2023, Rep. Scott cosponsored H.R.3346, the Innovative Maternal Payment and Coverage (IMPACT) to Save Moms Act, which will develop innovative strategies to improve maternal health outcomes for minority women, including presumptive eligibility for Medicaid, automatic reenrollment in Medicaid, and measures to prevent any disruptions in coverage from pregnancy to one year postpartum.
In 2023, Rep. Scott cosponsored H.R. 1269, the Healthy Meals Help Kids Learn Act, which would help schools provide students with quality, nutritious meals by increasing the federal reimbursement level for all free, reduced-price, and paid-rate school meals.
Similarly, Rep. Scott cosponsored H.R. 1147, the Whole Milk Healthy Kids Act, to allow schools to continue offering students whole milk in addition to other options.
Rep. Scott requested a FY 2024 funding level of $738 million for the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Program. The CHGME programs train 60 percent of pediatric specialist residents in the nation.
Healthcare Professionals
In November 2023, Rep. Scott cosponsored H.R.4829, the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act, which would include physical therapists in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program and expand patient access to physical therapists.
To address the shortage of healthcare professionals Rep. Scott cosponsored H.R.2389, the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023, which would increase the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments.
In March 2024, Rep. Scott cosponsored H.R.1617 Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act, which would allow patients to receive treatment from another physical therapist in instances were the primary physical therapist will be temporarily unavailable.
