Clear Skies On Capitol Hill?
New Momentum For HIDA’s Legislative Agenda
August 2024 | From HIDA's Healthcare Distribution & Supply Chain™ magazine
The weather at HIDA’s 10th Annual Washington Summit and Fly-In was a welcome change from the haze, smoke, and wildfires that plagued last year’s event. Some might say that was a metaphor for the state of the medical supply chain on Capitol Hill. Without the threat of global pandemics or office lockdowns, teams of advocates met with staffers from key Senators and Representatives to discuss issues of supply chain resilience and disaster preparedness.
Keep the momentum going: Click here to ask your Senators to include bipartisan FAST PASS language in key defense bill.
Key Takeaways
Movement In The Legislative Supply Chain
Healthcare distributors and manufacturers met with key Congressional staffers on issues of transportation and infrastructure, resulting in progress on H.R. 6140, a bipartisan bill championed by HIDA to create a “Fast Pass” system for critical medical cargo during a publicly-declared emergency.
Pivoting On Preparedness
Advocates continued to press for reauthorization of the Pandemic All-Hazards Preparedness Act, which has been awaiting floor debate since July 2023. In addition to pandemic preparedness, HIDA stressed the role of PAHPA in response to natural disasters, and its critical mission to keep hospitals open during emergencies.
Cyber-Insecurity?
The 3rd Annual Preparedness Summit addressed how public and private sectors use technology to communicate more effectively. Foremost on the minds of policymakers was the issue of cybersecurity in the wake of the Change Healthcare attack. Officials from the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offered best practices on how to protect data from hackers.
96%
of Congressional staff say direct constituent interactions have more influence on lawmakers’ decisions than other advocacy strategies.
Source: Congressional Management Foundation
Senators And Staffers Offer Expertise And Inside Perspectives
HIDA’s Washington Summit began on Wednesday with a panel discussions and educational sessions. Attendees heard a wide variety of perspectives from across the political spectrum. Each speaker contributed useful behind-the-scenes insights into the twists and turns of policymaking in Washington. They also offered tips for how best to communicate with Congressional staffers during Hill visits the following day.
The keynote speaker was Senator Susan Collins (R-ME). Senator Collins was instrumental in passage of the PREVENT Pandemics Act, HIDA’s top priority in 2022.
Senator Collins authored provisions to increase make the medical supply chain more resilient, strengthen the Public Health Workforce through student loan relief, to provide professional development for HHS employees through fellowships and leadership exchange programs.
Attendees heard from Congressional staffers about how a bill really becomes a law, using the example of the bipartisan FAST PASS bill that HIDA has promoted on Capitol Hill.
Allie Cameron, Legislative Assistant for Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS), discussed the role of bipartisan cooperation that led to H.R. 6140 passing the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on a unanimous and bipartisan voice vote.
Sohini Gupta, Executive Vice President for Government Affairs & Innovations at American Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) offered perspective about the impact of payors on the supply chain.
These sessions were designed to equip attendees with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the complexities of the current healthcare environment.
Fly-In By The Numbers
Members of the medical supply advocated for three key legislative and policy priorities during the Fly-In.
FAST PASS For Medical Supplies and Critical Cargo
H.R. 6140, the Facilitating Access to Swiftly Transport Goods during a Publicly Announced State of Emergency Situation (FAST PASS) is a bipartisan bill directing Secretary of Transportation to study efforts to expedite the movement of critical cargo through ports.
Reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA)
The federal government uses its authority under PAHPA to assist healthcare providers responding to infectious disease outbreaks and global pandemics, including Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19. It has also supported hospitals following natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and floods.
Supply Chain Resiliency Road Map
HIDA shared with Congress the findings of its recently published Resiliency Road Map, which articulated five pillars to support domestic manufacturing of medical supplies and maintain robust stockpiles. Executives advocated for a strategic blend of domestic, near-shored, and global production.
Elected Officials Representing 35 States – from Hawaii to Maine
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75
Congressional Meetings
27
Senate
48
House of Representatives
40
Republicans
34
Democrats
1
Independent
Members: Check out the
full magazine PDF for all articles in the Summer 2024 issue, including:
- Resiliency Roadmap: A Foundation For Future Public Health Responses
- Sales & Strategy: Customer Needs Drive Successful Channel Strategy
- Market Intelligence: Physician Ownership Of Practices Hits All-Time Low