On February 29, 2024, the House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss several pieces of legislation related to rare diseases. Representatives and witnesses agreed that more needs to be done to ensure Americans with rare diseases have access to innovative treatments at an affordable price.
On February 8, 2024, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing entitled “Artificial Intelligence and Health Care: Promise and Pitfalls.” The hearing focused on the impact of AI in the health care field, particularly the use of AI in federal health care programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, which fall under the committee’s jurisdiction. Senators and witnesses alike acknowledged the potential for AI to have both positive and negative implications for those served by these programs. The hearing also showcased some possible policy solutions for Congress to consider related to issues related to AI, health care, and federal health care programs.
On February 15, 2024, the House Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Health Oversight Committee held a hearing to discuss Artificial Intelligence at VA, reviewing what is currently happening and what could be implemented in the future.
On February 5, 2024, the House Rules Committee held a hearing discussing the use of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in healthcare methodologies. The bill under discussion would ban using quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and other measures to make coverage and payment decisions in all federal health care programs.
On January 31, 2024, the House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss the growth in U.S. health care spending. Committee members discussed the need to create solutions to curb spending growth, discussing both bipartisan and partisan solutions to the issue.
