Dear [salutation],

Ensuring Americans receive high-quality and affordable health care is a priority of mine. With the University of Nebraska Medical Center being at the forefront of medical innovation and technology, I have cosponsored many health care bills that will benefit the constituents of Nebraska’s 2^nd district.

Americans deserve transparency when it comes to knowing the exact cost of prescription drugs. That is why I am the Republican lead for H.R. 7529, the Plain Prescription Prices Act. This bill requires any direct-to-consumer advertisements on television for prescription drugs and biological products to include a textual statement indicating the list price. The list price would be as determined on the first day of the quarter that the advertisement begins airing.

I am also a cosponsor of H.R. 6519, the Patients’ Right to Know Their Medication Act, which would mandate that no later than one year after enactment, the FDA must issue final regulations regarding the inclusion of printed paper patient medication information (PMI) on all prescribed drugs and that the information include clear and standardized directions, warnings, and measures patients may take, if any, to reduce side effects. All patient medication information with respect to a drug be scientifically accurate, include relevant patient safety information, and contain graphics and pictures when applicable. This makes sure that the information for drug products be provided in a consistent, standardized format, and not be promotional in tone or content.

As a veteran and Co-Chair of the TBI Task Force, I'm committed to raising awareness, advancing research and funding, and protecting survivors of (Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). I am the Republican co-lead for H.R. 7301, the Protecting Survivors from Traumatic Brain Injury Act. This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect data on the prevalence of brain injuries resulting from domestic and sexual violence by creating and implementing an additional data collection project similar in design to and under the umbrella of the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS). This way, we can better understand the prevalence of brain injuries related to domestic and sexual violence.

There is an ongoing opioid epidemic in our country. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nearly 92,000 persons in the U.S. died from drug-involved overdose in 2020, including illicit drugs and prescription opioids. H.R. 6279, the Opioid Treatment Access Act of 2022, authorizes a study on certain exemptions for treatment of opioid use disorder through opioid treatment programs during the COVID–19 public health emergency. This bill also expands access to substance use disorder treatment by modifying the regulation of opioid treatment programs and narcotic drugs used for treatment, including with respect to a patient's unsupervised use of such drugs. I’m glad to be an original cosponsor of this bill.

As a parent and grandparent, I believe we must do more to provide mental health assistance and treatment for our children. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 7076, the Supporting Children’s Mental Health Care Access Act, which would amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the pediatric mental health care access grant program (PMHCA). The PMHCA program supports state or regional networks of pediatric mental health care teams to provide tele-consultation, training, technical assistance, and care coordination for pediatricians and other pediatric primary care providers to diagnose, treat, and refer children with behavioral health conditions. This bill also reauthorizes through two grant programs that support pediatric mental and behavioral health services and interventions for an additional five years.

I also cosponsored H.R. 7073, the Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Act which would amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a grant program for screening, assessment, and treatment services for maternal mental health and substance use disorders. It also requires the DHHS to maintain a national hotline to provide mental health and substance use disorder resources to pregnant and postpartum women and their families

As always, I am praying for our country and the health and safety of all Americans. If you have any questions or concerns, or need help with a health care issue, please don’t hesitate to contact my district office at https://bacon.house.gov/contact/ or call 402-938-0300.

Sincerely,

Don Bacon