{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1950", "Hern priorities to access new technologies in health care pass Ways and Means committee markup", "2024-06-27", "2024", "2024-06", "Republican", "House", "OK", "Kevin Hern", "H001082", "hern.house.gov", "hern", "https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, the House Committee on Ways and Means passed Representative Kevin Hern\u2019s (R-OK-01) priorities that would enhance health care treatments by increasing access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics (PDTs) as part of H.R. 8816, the American Medical Innovation and Investment Act of 2024.\n\nThis legislation would open up Medicare pathways to cover PDT\u2019s, which are software-based disease treatments designed to directly treat disease. PDTs are designed and tested much like traditional prescription drugs, but rather than swallowing a pill or taking an injection, patients receive cognitive therapy through software. The treatments are tested for safety and efficacy in randomized clinical trials, evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and prescribed by health care providers.\n\n\u201cTechnology has tremendously improved our lives in so many ways, it\u2019s time we apply that to our medical care,\u201d said Rep. Hern. \u201cPrescription digital therapeutics will provide important benefits to patients - such as mental health resources for veterans - while unlocking untold potential in new technologies. I\u2019m proud to have introduced this legislation in the House to ensure Americans have access to cutting-edge care.\u201d\n\n\u201cCongress has a responsibility to support providers and innovators with the tools they need to deliver the highest level of care to patients,\u201d said Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith. \u201cCongressman Hern\u2019s bill will give Medicare beneficiaries access to digital therapeutics that show great promise in behavioral therapy and treatment for other diseases, disorders, and conditions. Opening up this technology to patients will help our health system stay ahead of the curve by helping to identify and treat disease before it progresses.\u201d\n\nThe legislation is headed to the House of Representatives for a full vote, expected later this summer.\n\nYou can view the full bill text HERE and watch his remarks HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:11:47Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1950"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0941331274807453, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}