Sen. Susan Collins announced Wednesday that the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved with bipartisan support a slate of five measures that, taken together, are designed to cap insulin costs and strengthen the health care workforce.
While three of the bills were advanced as standalone legislation, two were rolled into the Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency and Readiness (EMPOWER) for Health Act, supported by a committee vote of 21 to 1.
Among these provisions were funding reauthorizations for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program and the Geriatrics Academic Career Awards and the Bio-Preparedness Workforce Loan Repayment Program through 2031.
One of the bills that is progressing as a standalone measure would cap the cost of insulin at $35 per month for Americans with private and employer-sponsored insurance, as well as create a pilot program to do the same for those who are uninsured.
Another bill aims to help prepare rural hospitals for dealing with obstetric emergencies. It would also lead to the creation of a pilot program to help provide urgent maternal telehealth services.
The third of Collins’ measures advanced by the committee was a workforce training bill designed to reauthorize, update, and improve critical programs under Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act.
“Families across Maine are being squeezed by rising health care costs, while rural hospitals and other providers are struggling to recruit and retain the skilled professionals they need to serve their communities,” said Collins in a statement Wednesday.
“With maternity units closing, workforce shortages straining hospitals, and too many patients struggling to afford lifesaving insulin, these bipartisan measures address some of the most pressing challenges facing Maine people,” she said.
“I was pleased to see the strong support these measures received in committee today, and as they continue through the legislative process, I will keep working across the aisle to lower costs, strengthen Maine’s health care workforce, and help better ensure that people in every part of our state can access quality, affordable care close to home,” Collins concluded.
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