Health Care | Senator Susan Collins

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

Senator Collins leads Bipartisan Letter to Secretary Burwell Highlighting Possible Contributing Factor to Opioid Crisis

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) led a bipartisan delegation of 26 U.S. Senators in writing to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell, regarding one possible contributing factor to the opioid crisis and heroin epidemic facing our country. The letter urges HHS to conduct a robust examination of whether or not certain questions on patient satisfaction surveys may inadvertently encourage treatment with opioid pain relievers, contributing to the vast supply of prescription opioids currently in circulation in our country. According to the CDC, health care providers wrote 259 million prescriptions for painkillers in 2012, enough for every American adult to have a bottle of pills.

Senators Collins, Klobuchar Lead Bipartisan Letter to President Obama Calling for Greater Investment in Alzheimer’s Research

To view a signed PDF of the letter, click

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Senator Collins Raises Concerns to Top FDA Official Regarding Accessibility and Pricing of Rx Drugs

Click HERE to watch Senator Collins' questions

Senators Collins, King Announce Grant for Maine DHHS Vaccination Program

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have announced the award of $1.181 million for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The grant, which was awarded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program, will help provide free immunizations to eligible low-income children under the age of 18.

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Senator Collins Questions Experts on Lack of Access to Mental Health Services at Senate HELP Hearing

Click HERE to watch Senator Coll

Increasing Investment in Biomedical Research: A Bipartisan Opportunity

The people of Maine, and of this country, expect the President and Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to work together to improve the lives of hardworking Americans. The problems, both at home and abroad, are too important to be stymied by incivility, extremism, or hyper-partisanship.

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ICYMI: “Collins calls for Alzheimer's support, funding after tour of Falmouth center”

FALMOUTH — The message from Maine’s senior U.S. senator was clear Tuesday morning: the state and the nation must do more for those with Alzheimer’s disease and the people who care for them.

Speaking at the Lunt Auditorium at 74 Lunt Road, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said while Alzheimer’s is “a devastating disease” for the patient, it is also harmful to family members who become caretakers.

“It’s impossible to talk about Alzheimer’s without talking about the caregivers,” Collins said.

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A Year in Review

As we turn the page on 2015 and look to the future, I welcome this opportunity to share some of the accomplishments of the past year. Although much work remains to be done, I was able to achieve progress on issues that matter to the people of Maine, whom I am honored to represent in the United States Senate.

Senator Collins to Tour Southern Maine Area Agency on Aging’s Stewart Adult Day Center

Senator Collins, Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, will tour the Stewart Adult Day Center in Falmouth tomorrow at 10:30 AM.

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Finding Solutions to Our Nation’s Heroin Epidemic

A heroin epidemic is sweeping across America. Going beyond their traditional urban centers, drug cartels and big-city traffickers are targeting new lucrative markets in states and communities previously untouched by this scourge.

Collins, King Congratulate Alba-Technic for Winning Head Health Challenge

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today congratulated Alba-Technic, LLC, one of five companies nationwide to win the Head Health Challenge III. The challenge is an open innovation competition held by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Football League, Under Armour, and General Electric (GE) to support the discovery, design and development of advanced materials that better absorb and dissipate impact.

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Investigating Sudden and Dramatic Price Increases of Off-Patent Drugs

Prescription drugs are vital to the health and well-being of all Americans, especially our nation’s seniors, 90 percent of whom take at least one prescription drug in any given month. For many Americans, access to prescription drugs is not only critical to their quality of life, but can literally be a matter of life or death.

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