Federal Committees of Jurisdiction
On Health Care Issues
House Energy & Commerce Committee
The healthcare jurisdiction of the House Energy & Commerce Committee is as follows:
- Biomedical research and development.
- Consumer affairs and consumer protection.
- Health and health facilities (except health care supported by payroll deductions).
- Public health and quarantine.
House Ways & Means Committee
The healthcare jurisdiction of the House Ways and Means Committee is as follows:
- National Social Security (except health care and facilities programs that are supported from general revenues as opposed to payroll deductions and except work incentive programs).
The Committee on Ways and Means has jurisdiction over most of the programs authorized by the Social Security Act, which includes the following under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means:
- Old-age, survivors, and disability insurance (Title II) - at present, there are approximately 156 million workers in employment covered by the program, and for calendar year 2003, $479 billion in benefits were paid to 47 million individuals.
- Medicare (Title XVIII) - provides hospital insurance benefits to 34.9 million persons over the age of 65 and to 6.4 million disabled persons. Voluntary supplementary medical insurance is provided to 33.4 million aged persons and 5.6 million disabled persons. Total program outlays under these programs were $281 billion in 2003.
Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee (HELP)
The healthcare jurisdiction of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) is as follows:
- Measures relating to education, labor, health and public welfare.
- Aging.
- Biomedical research and development.
- Domestic activities of the American Red Cross.
- Individuals with disabilities.
- Public health.
Senate Finance Committee
The healthcare jurisdiction of the Senate Finance Committee is as follows:
- Health programs under the Social Security Act and health programs financed by a specific tax or trust fund.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
- Medicare Parts A & B; Medicare Drug Benefit (Part D); Medicare Advantage (Part C); Medicaid; State Children Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
- Administration for Children and Families (w/ HELP Committee).
- TANF; Child Welfare Services; Child Support & Paternity; JOBS program; Foster Care & Adoption Assistance; Maternal & Child Health Title XX Social Services Block Grant Program; Child Care and Development Block Grant; Independent Living Program; Promoting Safe and Stable Families.
- Title XI of the Social Security Act, demonstration authority, peer review of the
utilization and quality of health care services, and administrative simplification.
Department of Labor
- Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration (ERISA) (w/ HELP Committee).
Department of the Treasury
- TAA health care tax credit. (HCTC).
- ERISA group health plans
- HIPAA, COBRA, Consumer Protections (w/ HELP Committee)
- Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) (w/ HELP Committee)
- Guarantees payment of non-forfeitable pension benefits in covered
private sector defined benefit pension plans; title IV of ERISA.
Social Security Administration (SSA)
- Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI)
Also numerous boards, commissions, and advisory committees including the Prospective Payment Assessment Commission and Physician Payment Review Commission.
Senate Special Committee on Aging
The Senate Special Committee on Aging was first established in 1961 as a temporary committee. It was granted permanent status on February 1, 1977.
While special committees have no legislative authority, they can study issues, conduct oversight of programs, and investigate reports of fraud and waste. The Committee has continually reviewed Medicare's performance on an almost annual basis.
|back to top|
| |
