Collins Leads Bipartisan Senators, including King, in urging CMS to Exapnd Substance Abuse Treatment Coverage
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S.
There is no question that our nation’s health care system requires substantial reform. The status quo of soaring health care costs, struggling families, and health care provider shortages across Maine and the nation is unacceptable. Senator Collins frequently works with her colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address these and other important issues facing our nation such as improved mental health care, drug treatment programs, supporting America’s caregivers, and nutrition programs.
As a native to northern Maine, Senator Collins understands the specific challenges that rural communities face for medical care. Throughout her time in the Senate, Senator Collins has consistently supported programs to expand access to and improve the health care system, particularly for citizens living in rural areas.
As a freshman legislator, Senator Collins founded the Senate Diabetes Caucus and has since led the effort to more than triple federal funding for diabetes research.
NIH States $414 Million in Additional FY 2018 Funding Needed for Alzheimer's Research
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S.
The Critical Response We Need: The Senate Takes Action to Combat the Heroin and Opioid Abuse Epidemic
In a 24-hour period in June, six people overdosed on opioids in Sanford, one of whom died as a result. In Monmouth, three people overdosed on heroin in one week. And in April, two people died from overdoses in just two days in Biddeford.
Senators Collins, McCaskill Seek More Information on AstraZeneca’s Position That Generic Competitors to Crestor Should be Delayed
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Claire McCaskill, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, sent a letter to AstraZeneca seeking more information on the company’s position that generic competitors to Crestor® should be delayed from entering the market.
Senators Collins, King Announce More than $1.8 Million for Lead Abatement in Portland
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King announced today that the City of Portland will be awarded $1,568,592 in Lead Based Paint Hazard Control grant program funding and $246,275 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funding. The city will use the funding to help address lead hazards in 80 housing units, providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with children.
Senate Passes Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act with Two Provisions Authored by Senator Collins
Washington, D.C.—With overwhelming bipartisan support, the U.S. Senate passed a comprehensive, evidence-based response to combat the heroin and opioid epidemic by a vote of 92-2. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, or CARA, is cosponsored by U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. The CARA Conference Report contains two amendments authored by Senator Collins, as well as a number of provisions for which she advocated.
Senate Passes Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Senate passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, or CARA, Conference Report, cosponsored by U.S. Senator Susan Collins, this afternoon by a vote of 92 to 2. Among many other provisions, this bipartisan legislation will allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants who meet certain criteria to dispense buprenorphine for opioid addiction treatment for the first time.
Maine Receives Nearly $200,000 to Combat Spread of Zika Virus
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will receive $176,049 in federal funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to bolster public health system preparedness and response capabilities to protect Americans from the Zika virus.
Senator Collins Announces Appropriations Committee Approves $261 Million to Combat Opioid Abuse
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced today that the Committee has approved the fiscal year 2017 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Bill with $261 million for the Department of Health and Human Services’ opioid abuse initiatives, a 93 percent increase. The legislation was approved by a vote of 29 to 1 and will now be considered by the full Senate.
Appropriations Committee Passes Funding Bill with Nearly $1.4 Billion for Alzheimer’s Research
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Co-Chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease and a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced today that the Committee approved $1.391 billion for Alzheimer’s research at the National Institutes of Health, an increase of $400 million.
Companion Legislation to Senators Collins and Heitkamp’s Bipartisan Human Trafficking Bill Introduced in House
Washington, D.C.–A companion bill to the Stop, Observe, Ask and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Act, which was introduced in the Senate by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), was introduced in the House yesterday by Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) and Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO). This bipartisan legislation would provide health care professionals at all levels training on how to identify and appropriately treat human trafficking victims.
Chairman Collins, Ranking Member McCaskill Seek Information from Companies on Efforts to Preserve Accessibility of Opioid Overdose Reversal Drug
WASHINGTON, D.C.—As part of a multifaceted approach to address our nation’s opioid abuse and heroin public health crisis, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee, have written to five companies regarding their efforts to preserve the accessibility of the opioid reversal drug naloxone.
Senator Collins Signs Bipartisan Letter Urging DHHS to Increase Access to Opioid Addiction Treatment
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins joined a bipartisan group of 22 Senators in writing to Sylvia Burwell, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), to urge DHHS to allow for greater access to medication assisted treatment (MAT) in the Department’s proposed rule on the topic published on March 30, 2016.
Senator Collins Announces $132 Million to Combat Heroin and Opioid Abuse Epidemic
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, announced today that the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $132 million to combat the heroin and opioid abuse crisis. The legislation was unanimously approved by the Committee and will now be considered by the full Senate.
The Zika Virus: Countering An Emerging Public Health Threat
In 1947, a virus was discovered in the Zika Forest of Uganda. For nearly all of the next 70 years, that now infamous infection was confined to a narrow band along the Equator in Africa and Asia, and the mosquito-borne virus was believed to cause little more than mild fever symptoms that passed in about one week.
Senators Collins, King Announce $249,000 for Mount Desert Island Biological Lab
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory has been awarded $249,000 by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The grant will allow researchers to study a possible cause of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).
Following Strong Advocacy from THUD Chairman Susan Collins, Senate Passes Bipartisan Amendment Providing $1.1 Billion to Address Zika Threat
Washington, D.C.—Following strong advocacy and leadership from U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, the Senate passed a bipartisan amendment to the THUD bill that would provide $1.1 billion in emergency funding to address the Zika threat, including $361 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and $200 million for the National Institutes of Health.
Senator Collins Speaks from Senate Floor on Urgent Need to Address Zika Threat
Click HERE to watch Senator Collins’ floor statement
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins spoke from the Senate floor today to urge her colleagues to support funding to address the emerging and evolving Zika virus, which poses a particular threat to pregnant women and can cause serious birth defects.
Assessing the Progress and the Work to be Done in the Fight to End Alzheimer’s
When I was back home in Maine recently, I saw an 88-year-old woman taking care of her 90-year-old husband with Alzheimer’s. I also spoke with a woman in her 50s who, with her sisters, is juggling their busy work schedules with the care of their mother who has Alzheimer’s. And I talked to a man trying to cope with his wife’s dementia as well as his own health problems.
Senators Collins, Shaheen, & Patriots Linebacker Dont’a Hightower Call on Congress to Tackle Diabetes
“Since I founded the Senate Diabetes Caucus in 1997, funding for diabetes research has more than tripled,” said Senator Collins. “The 2016 omnibus spending bill passed late last year continues this progress with an overall $2 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health, the largest since 2003, but there is still much work to be done. I have called on my colleagues to maintain our strong commitment to diabetes research in the 2017 spending bill, and Senator Shaheen and I are determined to require Medicare to cover Continuous Glucose Monitors, just as many private insurance companies already do. Today’s investments will yield cures and therapies for patients tomorrow.”
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Advance Strategic Planning and Representation in Medical Research at NIH Share Tweet
Washington, DC - Yesterday, United States Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) introduced the Advancing NIH Strategic Planning and Representation in Medical Research Act.
Senators Collins, King Introduce Legislation to Extend ARCH Program for Five Years
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King introduced legislation today that would extend the Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH) program for an additional five years. Absent congressional action, the pilot program will expire on August 7, 2016.
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Improve Mental Health Services On College Campuses
Washington, D.C. – Responding to the pressing need for enhanced mental health services on college campuses across the country, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined with U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) today to introduce bipartisan legislation to improve mental health services on college campuses. The Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act – which was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S.
Senators Collins, King Announce Over $1.2 Million to Help Fight the Opioid Epidemic in Maine
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Department of Health and Human Services has awarded over $1.2 million dollars to community health centers in Maine to help fight the opioid epidemic. The funding will expand the delivery of substance abuse services, including medication assisted treatment, with a focus on treatment of opioid use disorders.
Senate Passes the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Cosponsored by Senator Collins
Washington, D.C.—The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), cosponsored by Senator Susan Collins, passed the Senate today (94-1).
In Response to the Sudden, Aggressive Price Spikes of Decades-old Rx Drugs: Chairman Collins, Ranking Member McCaskill Introduce Legislation to Help Ensure Patient Access to Affordable Medication
Bipartisan legislation stems from ongoing Aging Committee investigation into the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to these egregious price spikes
Senator Collins Speaks from Senate Floor in Support of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act
U.S. Senator Susan Collins spoke from the Senate floor today in support of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). Senator Collins is a cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation, which provides a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to help Americans combat the opioid epidemic.
Prescription Opioid Abuse: One of the Foremost Public Health Challenges Facing Our Nation
Millions of older Americans experience pain associated with such conditions as bone fractures, cancer, post-surgery recovery, and end-of-life illnesses. Studies have shown that as many as 50 percent of older adults living at home and 85 percent of older adults living in residential facilities may suffer from chronic pain. For these older Americans, prompt delivery of pain control is a medical imperative.
Senator Collins Underscores Importance of Combatting IRS Imposter Scam to Attorney General Lynch
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and Chairman of the Aging Committee, emphasized to Attorney General Loretta Lynch the importance of developing a more robust response to the IRS impersonation phone scam at an Appropriations Committee hearing this morning. During the hearing, Senator Collins showcased the Aging Committee’s comprehensive guide on the top 10 scams targeting seniors, which found that the IRS impersonation phone scam is the #1 most prevalent fraud.
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