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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 12 July 2025 Statement Joint statement by OCHA, UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS, UNRWA, WFP and WHO on fuel shortage in Gaza

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The United Nations warns that the fuel shortage in Gaza has reached critical levels.  

    Fuel is the backbone of survival in Gaza. It powers hospitals, water systems, sanitation networks, ambulances, and every aspect of humanitarian operations. Fuel supplies are needed to move the fleet used for transporting essential goods across the Strip and to operate a network of bakeries producing fresh bread for the affected population. Without fuel, these lifelines will vanish for 2.1 million people.  

    After almost two years of war, people in Gaza are facing extreme hardships, including widespread food insecurity. When fuel runs out, it places an unbearable new burden on a population teetering on the edge of starvation.  

    Without adequate fuel, UN agencies responding to this crisis will likely be forced to stop their operations entirely, directly impacting all essential services in Gaza. This means no health services, no clean water, and no capacity to deliver aid.  

    Without adequate fuel, Gaza faces a collapse of humanitarian efforts. Hospitals are already going dark, maternity, neonatal and intensive care units are failing, and ambulances can no longer move. Roads and transport will remain blocked, trapping those in need. Telecommunications will shut down, crippling lifesaving coordination and cutting families off from critical information, and from one another.  

    Without fuel, bakeries and community kitchens cannot operate. Water production and sanitation systems will shut down, leaving families without safe drinking water, while solid waste and sewage pile up in the streets. These conditions expose families to deadly disease outbreaks and push Gaza’s most vulnerable even closer to death.  

    For the first time in 130 days, a small amount of fuel entered Gaza this week. This is a welcome development, but it is a small fraction of what is needed each day to keep daily life and critical aid operations running. 

    The United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners cannot overstate the urgency of this moment: fuel must be allowed into Gaza in sufficient quantities and consistently to sustain life-saving operations. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: KIF18A Targeting Therapies FDA EMA Approval Clinical Trials By Indication Company Country Drug Class Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Delhi, July 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global KIF18A Targeting Therapies Market Trends, Clinical Trials, Technology Platforms & Future Outlook 2025 Report Highlights & Findings:

    • First KIF18A Targeting Therapy Commercial Availability Expected By 2030
    • Highest Phase Of Development: Phase-I/II
    • KIF18A Targeting Therapies In Clinical Trials:  > 10 Therapies
    • KIF18A Targeting Therapies Clinical Trials Insight By Company, Country, Indication & Phase
    • KIF18A Targeting Therapies Market Development Trends Insight
    • KIF18A Therapies Technology Platforms Insight

    Download Report: https://www.kuickresearch.com/report-kif18a-targeting-inhibitor-kif18a-inhibitor-clinical-trials-kif18a-targeting-therapy

    The global KIF18A targeting therapies market is rapidly gathering momentum as KIF18A has emerged as a key vulnerability in cancers characterized by chromosomal instability. As a mitotic kinesin motor protein essential for chromosome alignment during cell division, KIF18A is overexpressed in malignancies such as ovarian and triple-negative breast cancers, making it a promising target for precision oncology with potentially lower toxicity than traditional chemotherapies.

    Although no KIF18A-targeted therapy is commercially available yet, the field is progressing quickly. Clinical pipelines include more than 10 therapies, with several in early clinical development. Among the frontrunners is ATX‑295 from Accent Therapeutics, an oral, best-in-class small-molecule inhibitor that recently entered a Phase I/II dose-escalation study in patients with advanced solid tumors, including ovarian and triple-negative breast cancer. It’s employed with biomarker-enriched enrollment based on genomic instability markers like whole-genome doubling, and has received FDA Fast Track status—accelerating its path forward.

    The clinical landscape includes global contributions from leading biotechs such as Volastra Therapeutics, advancing multiple small-molecule inhibitors including Sovilnesib (AMG‑650) in Phase I for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, and VLS‑1488 in Phase I/II across chromosomal instability-high tumors. Accent’s ATX‑295 stands currently at the most advanced Phase I/II stage, with trials in the US and potentially Asia-Pacific, suggesting geographic development convergence.

    Technological innovation underpins expansion in this field. Development is dominated by small-molecule inhibitors designed to halt KIF18A’s motor activity at kinetochores, causing mitotic catastrophe in cancer cells. Alternative approaches include disrupting upstream regulatory pathways like phosphorylation, and leveraging AI-driven drug discovery platforms. For example, Insilico Medicine’s Chemistry42 and PandaOmics platforms generated a macrocyclic KIF18A inhibitor (ISM9682), showcasing the power of AI to enhance specificity and efficiency in drug design.

    Market trends demonstrate strong growth potential. The first commercial KIF18A-targeting therapy is expected by 2030, propelled by fast track designations and positive preclinical data. The rich pipeline, combined with precision biomarker strategies, supports a robust developmental roadmap, aligning with unmet clinical needs in CIN-high solid tumors and potentially extending to hematologic malignancies where KIF18A overexpression correlates with poor prognosis.

    Regional development trends show clinical leadership based in the US and Europe, where companies like Accent and Volastra are active, while China and other Asia-Pacific markets are engaging through global trial participation and local biotech collaborations. Multi-region trial footprints and biomarker-defined patient enrollment strategies are shaping global development dynamics.

    Our Global KIF18A Targeting Therapies Market Report offers detailed insights into this evolving therapeutic area. It profiles more than ten clinical-stage candidates by company, indication, country, and development phase, with a deep focus on ATX‑295 as the leading Phase I/II program. The report evaluates technology platforms, including small-molecule motor inhibitors and AI-enabled discovery, and analyzes biomarker-led patient selection models. Regional development trends and regulatory environments are mapped, and strategic partnerships and investments are examined.

    For pharmaceutical executives, biotech investors, and drug development leaders, this report provides a strategic foundation. It outlines market drivers, technological innovations, and clinical milestones that are poised to transform KIF18A from a promising target into an approved therapeutic by 2030, potentially offering new treatment options for patients with chromosomally unstable tumors.

    The MIL Network –

  • PM Modi hands out 51,000 appointment letters in 16th Rozgar Mela, says youth driving nation-building

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday distributed over 51,000 appointment letters to newly-inducted recruits in various Central government departments and organisations through video conferencing during the 16th edition of the Rozgar Mela.

    The employment drive was conducted simultaneously at 47 locations across the country.

    According to an official statement, the new recruits, selected from across India, will be joining key departments including the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Department of Posts, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Department of Financial Services, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment, among others.

    Addressing the new appointees, PM Modi said, “Our campaign to hand out appointment letters to youth in the Central Government is underway. Today, over 51,000 youth have been given appointment letters. Through such employment initiatives, till now, lakhs of youth have secured permanent jobs in the Indian government. These individuals are now contributing significantly to nation-building.”

    He highlighted the wide spectrum of departments where the recruits will be deployed, highlighting their contribution to diverse national missions.

    “Many of you have started your careers in Indian Railways, and many will be a part of India’s security. People appointed in the postal department will take the government’s initiatives to every village. Many will be a part of the ‘Health for All’ mission, some will enhance the engine of financial inclusion, and others will further strengthen the industrial development of the country. Your department might be different, but the focus is one — service to the nation and ‘Citizen First’,” he said.

    The Prime Minister congratulated the appointees and wished them well as they begin their new professional journey.

    Stressing India’s “unlimited power — demography and democracy,” PM Modi said, “India has the largest youth population and the largest democracy. This is India’s most cherished wealth and guarantee. Our government is working day and night to make this wealth a source of progress.”

    Referring to his recent international engagements, PM Modi said, “Two days ago, I returned from a five-nation tour. In every country, India’s youth power was acknowledged. The agreements made during this tour will all benefit Indian youth.”

    Launched on October 22, 2022, the Rozgar Mela is part of the Prime Minister’s mission to prioritise employment generation. It is aimed at expediting recruitment across government departments and organisations and ensuring that vacant posts do not slow down public service delivery.

    Official data reveals that more than 10 lakh appointment letters have been issued across the country through Rozgar Melas since its inception.

    The initiative has played a key role in streamlining recruitment, improving efficiency in public services, and strengthening critical infrastructure in schools, hospitals, railway stations, police units, and tax offices.

    The appointees under the Rozgar Mela will serve in a variety of sectors, reinforcing the government’s workforce and contributing towards national development goals.

    By accelerating the selection process, the initiative is ensuring that employment generation remains at the core of India’s governance agenda.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Health chief attends Nanjing forum

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau attended the 13th Nanjing Academic Symposium on Hepatobiliary Surgery & Liver Transplantation in Nanjing today to share with liver transplant experts from around the world Hong Kong’s latest developments in organ transplantation, and the work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in co-operation with the Mainland on organ donation and transplantation.
     
    In his address at the opening ceremony, Prof Lo said: “Hong Kong and the Mainland have a long-standing collaboration in hepatobiliary surgery. I have personally witnessed experts from both places jointly performing a number of complex liver transplant surgeries, achieving in-depth integration of technology and resources, which is an exemplary model of medical co-operation under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework.

    “In recent years, Hong Kong and the Mainland have also made breakthroughs in organ donation and transplantation. In December 2022 and February this year, two cases of cross-boundary heart donation successfully saved the lives of two infants, exemplifying to the fullest the inseparable ties between the Mainland and Hong Kong as well as our shared principle and mission in protecting and saving lives.”
     
    Apart from stressing that with the accumulation of experience, the channels and procedures for handling urgent cross-boundary organ transplant requests have now been streamlined and standardised, Prof Lo made it clear that the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to explore arrangements for regularising this mechanism.
     
    He also shared the latest developments in the prevention and control of liver disease in Hong Kong.
     
    “Since 1988, Hong Kong has provided universal hepatitis B vaccination for all newborns, significantly reducing infection rates among younger generations.
     
    “As outlined in last year’s Policy Address, the Chief Executive also proposed to implement hepatitis B screening to prevent liver cancer. If patients can be identified at an early stage, it will facilitate early identification and early treatment, thereby effectively reducing risks of developing complications including cirrhosis and liver cancer.”
     
    Prof Lo then visited the Jiangsu Province Hospital (the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University), where he exchanged views and shared experiences on enhancing hospital management and services with the hospital’s President Prof Liu Yun.
     
    He highlighted that the Hospital Authority is adopting China’s International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version) developed by the Shenzhen Hospital Accreditation Research Centre to resume the hospital accreditation programme at its public hospitals.
     
    Moreover, the authority seeks to optimise the diagnosis process of the relevant specialties and improve the treatment outcomes through the establishment of the first stroke centre at Tuen Mun Hospital, as well as chest pain centres at both Queen Mary Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital.
     
    Prof Lo added that the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to promote the accreditation programme under the standards as well as the establishment of chest pain centres and stroke centres.
     
    “These initiatives will not only improve healthcare integration within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and support Hong Kong’s integration into national development, but also leverage Hong Kong’s advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, so as to demonstrate the excellence of the national hospital accreditation standards to the international community.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Joins Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers to Introduce PBM Reform Package

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) joined with Congressman Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) and nine other members of Congress to introduce the bipartisan PBM Reform Act, legislation that protects patients and independent pharmacies from harmful business practices used by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

    “I’m proud to co-lead the PBM Reform Act to crack down on abusive practices by pharmacy benefit managers and drive down the cost of prescription drugs for working families,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “This bipartisan legislation brings long-overdue transparency and accountability to the prescription drug supply chain, ensuring patients, not middlemen, come first.”

    Specifically, the PBM Reform Act:

    • Ban “spread pricing” in Medicaid and move to a transparent system that ensures pharmacies are fairly and adequately reimbursed for serving Medicaid beneficiaries.
    • Establish new requirements for PBMs under Medicare Part D, including a policy to delink PBM compensation from the cost of medications and increase transparency. 
    • Promote transparency for both employers and patients in their prescription drug plans, with semi-annual reporting on drug spending, rebates, and formulary determinations.
    • Require Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to define and enforce “reasonable and relevant” contract terms in Medicare Part D pharmacy contracts and enforce oversight on reported violations.

    As Ranking Member of the Health and Financial Services Oversight Subcommittee, Congressman Krishnamoorthi has introduced several pieces of bipartisan legislation aimed at reining in the power wielded by PBMs over patients and small, local, independent pharmacies.

    The PBM Reform Act comes just months after a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) interim staff report found PBMs prioritize their own pharmacies over independent businesses and significantly upcharge for specialty generic drugs such as those used to treat HIV, cancer, and other serious medical conditions. These practices have allowed the three largest PBMs to grab control of 80 percent of the prescription drug market, contributing to more than 2,000 local and independent pharmacy closures in 2024. In Illinois alone, 73 percent of counties are classified as pharmacy deserts and have no pharmacies located within 10 miles.

    In January, Congressman Krishnamoorthi toured Del-Kar Drugs in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago, where he spoke about how pharmacy closures are hurting people of color. Congressman Krishnamoorthi also cited data that between 2015 and 2020 in Chicago, more than half of pharmacy closures came in majority Black and Latino neighborhoods.

    Joining Congressmen Krishnamoorthi and Carter in introducing the PBM Reform Act was Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Greg Murphy (R-NC), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Derek Tran (D-CA), Rick Allen (R-GA), John Rose (R-TN), and Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY).

    “It’s time to bust up the PBM monopoly, which has been stealing hope and health from patients for decades. As a pharmacist, I’ve seen how PBMs abuse patients firsthand, and believe that the cure to this infectious disease is transparency, competition, and accountability, which is exactly what our bipartisan package provides,” Congressman Carter said.

    “For too long, pharmacy benefit managers have been allowed to operate unchecked, raising prices and preventing many patients from getting the medications they depend on,” Congresswoman Dingell said. “I hear from too many Michiganders, especially seniors, who can’t conveniently access the prescriptions they need, due to exploitative PBM practices complicating access to their local pharmacies. Their harmful, aggressive tactics are only getting worse, and we must take action now to protect pharmacies and lower patient costs. I remain committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this across the finish line.”

    “Unaffordable health care, unclear pricing practices, and a burdensome system that is difficult to navigate has created life-threatening barriers to care for Americans,” Congressman Murphy, M.D, said. “At the heart of this problem are pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), middlemen who withhold money from independent pharmacies, obscure drug costs, and make out like bandits, all at the expense of patients. This corruption of the health care delivery system must stop. For years, we have heard from small business owners, physicians, and patients about the damage greedy PBMs have inflicted. I am proud to support this bipartisan legislation to put an end to the extortion and lower drug costs through increased transparency and competition.”

    “For too long, PBMs have served as unregulated middlemen, driving up prices for life-saving medications for patients,” Congresswoman Ross said. “Nobody should have to choose between paying for life-saving medication and putting food on the table. Our bipartisan PBM Reform Act will protect Americans from abusive practices that raise prices and reduce fairness. I’m proud to work with Rep. Carter on these long overdue reforms. It’s past time to hold PBMs accountable and ensure every American can access the medications they need.”

    “It’s time to put an end to the shady and manipulative practices of pharmacy benefit managers. For too long, PBMs have driven up drug prices and padded their pockets while independent community pharmacies are being pushed to the financial brink. My colleagues and I are committed to changing that. This legislation delivers long-overdue accountability, increases transparency, lowers out-of-pocket costs for families, and saves taxpayer dollars. Local pharmacies and the patients they serve are at a breaking point, and they deserve relief. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill and look forward to passing real PBM reform that will deliver for both patients and providers,” Congressman Harshbarger said. 

    “Pharmacy Benefit Managers line their pockets and drive up the cost of life saving drugs at the expense of South Texans and the community pharmacies they depend on — this is shameful, dangerous, and must be stopped,” Congressman Gonzalez said. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with Congressman Buddy Carter that puts patients first, increases price transparency, and holds PBMs accountable.”

    “PBM reform has long been a pressing issue, not only in rural Georgia, but across the nation. I am proud to work with Representative Carter on this commonsense package to eliminate the use of spread pricing, make prescription drugs more affordable, and establish rigorous oversight over PBM tactics that threaten access to care. Our health care system is in need of patient-centered, cost-effective, market-driven solutions and this package delivers,” Congressman Allen said.

    “Seniors should be able to fill the prescriptions they need without having to drive long distances or pay exorbitant costs,” Congressman Rose said. “For far too long, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) have favored large chains and driven away customers from independent pharmacies, especially those in rural communities. I am proud to co-lead this legislation, which will be a gamechanger for countless Tennesseans.”

    “Southern California families are seeing their cost-of-living skyrocket, especially the cost of essential health care. I’m laser-focused on bipartisan, common-sense solutions that bring down costs and ensure that our economy works for working families. My experience running a community pharmacy with my wife showed me firsthand the urgent need for greater transparency and accountability in how Pharmacy Benefit Managers operate. That is why I’m proud to co-lead this bipartisan effort with Representatives Carter and Dingell to reform PBM practices, increase transparency, and put patients first,” Congressman Tran said.

    “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this critical PBM reform package, which cracks down on the exploitative pricing tactics of pharmacy benefit managers to make prescription drugs more affordable,” Congresswoman Malliotakis said. “PBMs’ shady practices have left consumers footing the bill and are driving many ‘Mom & Pop’ pharmacies in my district out of business. Our legislation will deliver long-overdue reforms to increase price transparency and protect patients. Now is the time for Congress to act and get PBM reform across the finish line.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Johnson Leads Letter Questioning USPTO’s Decision Not To Open ATL Southeast

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

    Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter Questions Wisdom of Bypassing Opportunity To Open US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) Southeast Regional Outreach Office (SEROO) in Atlanta

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, this week led a letter to Coke Morgan Stewart, acting director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, to inquire as to why her office no longer plans to launch the Southeast Regional Outreach Office (SEROO) in Atlanta, Georgia, and will instead open it at the USPTO’s Alexandria, Virginia, headquarters.

    The letter was cosigned by Georgia U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, and Congressman David Scott (GA-13), Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06), and Congressman Rich McCormick (GA-07).

    The members request answers to their questions about the change by July 9.

    The letter states that at the time when Atlanta was chosen — after a lengthy and protracted process — to be the Southeast office that “the USPTO’s press release announcing the Atlanta office, the city’s “growing and diverse economy,” coupled with the resources available to its large number of startups and innovators “made it a top location for the Southeast Regional Office.” Atlanta, according to the USPTO, “has an active and highly ranked research development community with five Tier 1 research universities, one of the top-tier Veterans Administration research hospitals in the nation, and the Centers for Disease Control.”

    As far as Congressman Johnson is concerned none of that has changed.

    “The entire point of the Unleashing American Innovators Act was to increase participation in the patent system by women, people of color, military veterans, individual inventors, and other groups that are underrepresented in the system,” said Ranking Member Johnson. “Atlanta was rightfully chosen to be that hub because of our vibrancy, innovation and top-notch research institutions. Patents and trademarks are critical elements in creating job growth and jobs and careers of the future. I sincerely hope that the USPTO reconsiders this terrible mistake.”

    To read the letter, click HERE.

    Full letter below

    June 24, 2025
    Coke Morgan Stewart
    Acting Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
    P.O. Box 1450
    Alexandria, VA 22313-1450

    Dear Acting Director Stewart,

    On Friday, June 6th, 2025, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that it no longer plans to launch the Southeast Regional Outreach Office (SEROO) in Atlanta, Georgia, and will instead open it at the USPTO’s Alexandria, Virginia headquarters. We find this decision highly concerning, and we write to request additional information regarding the decision-making process that resulted in this mistake.

    After the success of the four regional offices created in the America Invents Act of 2011, Congress sought to add offices around the country to improve Americans’ access to USPTO services. Republicans and Democrats worked together to pass the Unleashing American Innovators Act (UAIA), which President Biden signed into law on December 29, 2022.

    The legislation required the USPTO establish a Southeast Regional Office within 
    three years of enactment as well as a community outreach office in the northern New England region within five years of enactment, among other provisions designed to bolster USPTO outreach to small and medium-sized businesses across the country.

    Atlanta, Georgia was chosen as the SEROO location after a lengthy process designed to meet the requirements stipulated under the UAIA, namely considering the proposed sites’ 1) number of patent-intensive industries, 2) number of research-intensive institutions, and 3) number of existing government, legal, and business frameworks that support intellectual property-intensive industries.

    As part of this process, the USPTO issued a request for comments seeking public input on potential regional office locations and received more than 200 comments from the general public, USPTO employees, city and state officials and the business community.

    According to the USPTO’s press release announcing the Atlanta office, the city’s “growing and diverse economy,” coupled with the resources available to its large number of startups and innovators “made it a top location for the Southeast Regional Office.”

    Atlanta, according to the USPTO, “has an active and highly ranked research development community with five Tier 1 research universities, one of the top-tier Veterans Administration research hospitals in the nation, and the Center for Disease Control.”

    While Alexandria, Virginia is in the southeast region of the country, Americans living there are already served by the USPTO headquarters. Regional patent offices allow the USPTO to reach Americans where they live and work. This is not disputed. In fact, the USPTO has an established history of supporting regional offices. In its 2024 report the USPTO wrote, “With the establishment of the regional offices, the USPTO has been able to reach a more diverse set of stakeholders at a more local scale.”

    Regional offices, the USPTO continued, allow it to customize in-person educational programming, “including seminars or workshops that educate customers about the patent application process or how to employ IP strategies for entrepreneurs.”

    The USPTO has also acknowledged that regional offices are good for the health of our patent ecosystem. Opening regional offices, it wrote in 2024, “has had a positive impact on employee recruitment, and has led to the onboarding of over 400 patent examiners” since 2012.

    Regional offices created unique detail opportunities that “create benefits for the employee, the agency, and the public.”

    Atlanta was chosen after an intensive process that invited public input. In contrast, the USPTO’s decision to ignore stakeholders and open the SEROO in Alexandria instead was made with no public explanation whatsoever. We therefore request that the USPTO respond to the following questions by July 9, 2025.

    1. Did the USPTO consider the required factors under the UAIA for the establishment of an SEROO? If yes, please describe the process in detail.

    2. What was the involvement of non-USPTO personnel in the decision to open the SEROO at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia?

    3. How does the USTPO plan to engage with the southeast region from Alexandria, Virginia? Please describe the in-person programming planned particularized to the southeast region.

    4. Does the USPTO plan to allow the public to comment on the decision not to open the regional office in Atlanta, as decided in 2023?

    Sincerely,

    Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. 
    Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet | Committee on the Judiciary House of Representatives

    Jon Ossoff, United States Senator

    Raphael Warnock, United States Senator

    David Scott
    Member of Congress

    Lucy McBath
    Member of Congress

    Rich McCormick, MD, MBA
    Member of Congress

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hepatitis Caucus Co-Chairs Johnson, Velázquez Call on RFK Jr. to Maintain Hepatitis Vaccine Recommendations

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

    Letter to the Secretary: ‘Gutting this committee undermines the progress we’ve made in public health’

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressional Hepatitis Caucus Co-Chairs Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) and Rep. Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., expressing grave concern over his recent dismissal of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and warning of the consequences for public health, particularly in the fight against liver disease and cancer.

    “For decades, ACIP has served as a trusted, science-based body guiding the nation’s vaccine policy,” said Congressman Johnson. “Its recommendations – including the hepatitis B birth dose – have been instrumental in preventing chronic disease and saving lives. Gutting this committee undermines the progress we’ve made in public health.”

    The hepatitis B vaccine is the first-ever vaccine proven to prevent cancer as it can stop chronic hepatitis B infections – the leading cause of liver cancer in the U.S. The universal birth dose recommendation, in place for over 30 years, has driven a 95% reduction in infant hepatitis B infections nationwide.

    The letter also emphasizes the role of the hepatitis A vaccine in reducing outbreaks and safeguarding individuals with chronic liver disease, noting that 37 states have reported outbreaks since 2016.

    The Caucus Co-Chairs reaffirmed their support for a rigorous vaccine approval process and welcomed further dialogue with Secretary Kennedy to ensure policies continue to be grounded in science, transparency, and a commitment to preventing chronic disease and cancer.

    “Great strides have been made in the last several decades, and countless lives have been saved,” the letter concludes. “To alter the government’s recommended vaccination schedule would not only move us backwards but will cause people to die needlessly.”

    To read the letter, click HERE.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Johnson Offers Six Amendments to Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, Seeks Exemption To Worst Effects in Georgia

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

    Congressman Seeks Deal to Exempt Georgia, While Also Focusing on Reversing Cuts to Healthcare Access for Children, Providing Counsel for Unaccompanied Minors, and Strengthening Environmental Protections

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tonight, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) offered six amendments to Donald Trump’s One Big, Ugly Bill, including an effort to exempt Georgia from the worst impacts of the bill, a rule to protect families’ access to Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), provide funding for attorneys for unaccompanied immigrant children, and protect critical funds for innovation and Georgia projects.

    To watch his speech, click HERE.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Chu Demands Answers on Discontinuation of $1 Billion in School Mental Health Grants

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Lucy McBath (GA-06), and Don Bacon (NE-02) led a bipartisan letter to the Department of Education demanding answers following reports that the agency plans to reallocate $1 billion in federal mental health grant funding. This funding was originally approved by Congress through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which passed with broad bipartisan support to address the critical shortage of mental health professionals in schools.

    “Students are six times as likely to receive needed mental health care when it is provided at school, and the majority of youth who receive needed services do so at school,” wrote the Members. “This includes prevention, early detection, and early intervention efforts, which are critical components of comprehensive mental and behavioral health services and crisis prevention.” 

    “Integrating mental health services in schools has helped both students and staff succeed by addressing issues such as bullying, self-esteem, and suicide, while improving schools’ capacity to identify, refer, and provide services to help students in need,” the Members continued. School-based mental health professionals have improved staff retention, helped keep students in school, and promoted learning environments where students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.”

    The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act provided $500 million each to the only two existing grant programs focused on addressing the critical shortage of school-based mental health professionals and increasing access to vital school-based services: the Mental Health Services Professional Demonstration Grant and the School-Based Mental Health Services Program. In just nine months, these two federal grant programs have delivered measurable outcomes, including:

    • Mental Health Services Professional Demonstration (MHSP) Grants:
      • Trained 1,767 school mental health professionals
      • Placed 1,191 graduate trainees in high-need schools
      • Hired 133 new providers
    • School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH) Grants:
      • Hired 1,163 school mental health professionals
      • Retained 13,155 existing staff

    Provided services to more than 774,000 students

    “Now is not the time to turn back on investing in our children’s mental health and the mental health workforce,” the Members concluded. “Uncertainty jeopardizes the work that has been done to increase comprehensive youth mental and behavioral health services, and the availability of school-based mental health professionals across the country.”

    The letter calls on the Department to provide a comprehensive response by July 14, 2025, detailing:

    • The Department’s strategy to address the youth mental health crisis;
    • How any reallocation or recompete process will sustain or expand services to students;
    • How the Department will ensure funding continues to reach the very school-based programs Congress specifically established and expanded through BSCA.

    “As the only psychologist in Congress and a former educator for over 20 years, I know firsthand how important school psychologists are to the mental health and well-being of students. And yet we currently have a nationwide shortage of school psychologists, with an average of over 1,000 students for every 1 school psychologist—a far cry from the recommended ratio of 500 to 1,” said Congresswoman Judy Chu “At a time when about 1 in 5 students struggles with a mental health disorder, we should be increasing, not decreasing, our investments to ensure students have access to the help they need. I’m proud to join my colleagues in sending this letter, and I look forward to getting answers from the Department of Education on why they recently discontinued $1 billion in federal grants for schools to hire more mental health professionals and what their plan is to address the youth mental health crisis.”

    “These funds were never intended to be a theoretical exercise—they were designed to confront an urgent crisis affecting millions of children,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “With youth mental health challenges at an all-time high, any disruption or diversion of resources threatens to reverse hard-won progress and leave communities without critical supports. It is important for the Department to share a clear plan to ensure these resources remain dedicated to expanding mental health support for students.”

    “Increasing access to school psychologists and other school mental health professionals is critical to supporting student learning and well-being. The U.S. Department of Education must continue prioritizing efforts that address the nationwide shortage of these professionals by reinstating grant programs that have already proven their impact. We are grateful for Representative Fitzpatrick’s continued leadership in support of these programs and look forward to the Department’s timely response. NASP stands ready to work with our partners in the federal government to ensure that every student has access to school psychologists and the critical services we provide,” said National Association of School Psychologists President, Dr. Peter Faustino.

    Click here to read the letter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman DeSaulnier to Visit County Hospital and Hold Press Conference on Republican Attempts to Cut Funding for Hospitals and Health Care Services

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier Representing the 11th District of California

    Walnut Creek, CA – Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) announced he will visit Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (CCRMC) and then hold a press conferenceon Friday, June 20that 3:00 p.m. as part of House Democrats’ Save Our Hospitals Week of Action to highlight how the Trump Administration’s One Big, Ugly Bill will devastate hospitals like CCRMC and gut health care services for millions of Americans across the country and in California’s 10th Congressional District. 

    Prior to the press conference, Congressman DeSaulnier will hold a roundtable with County health leaders to hear from them directly about how the Trump cuts will harm CCRMC’s operations and patient care.

    CCRMC is the County’s 166-bed full-service hospital and is the central hub of Contra Costa Health’s nine outpatient health centers. Contra Costa Health serves an estimated 515,000 patients annually.
     

    WHO: Congressman Mark DeSaulnier

                Dr. Sergio Urcuyo, Chief Medical Officer for Contra Costa Regional Medical Center

    WHEN: Friday, June 20th from 3:00 to 3:30p.m. PT

    WHERE: Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (2500 Alhambra Avenue, Martinez, CA)

                      Parking available curbside along the circle.

    RSVP: Please RSVP to Mairead Glowacki at (202) 760-1365 or mairead.glowacki@mail.house.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary for Health attends 13th Nanjing Academic Symposium on Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation in Nanjing (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, attended the 13th Nanjing Academic Symposium on Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation in Nanjing today (July 12) to share with liver transplant experts from around the world Hong Kong’s latest developments in organ transplantation, and the work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in co-operation with the Mainland on organ donation and transplantation.
     
         In his address at the opening ceremony, Professor Lo said, “Hong Kong and the Mainland have a long-standing collaboration in hepatobiliary surgery. I have personally witnessed experts from both places jointly performing a number of complex liver transplant surgeries, achieving in-depth integration of technology and resources, which is an exemplary model of medical co-operation under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework. In recent years, Hong Kong and the Mainland have also made breakthroughs in organ donation and transplantation. In December 2022 and February this year, two cases of cross-boundary heart donation successfully saved the lives of two infants, exemplifying to the fullest the inseparable ties between the Mainland and Hong Kong as well as our shared principle and mission in protecting and saving lives. With the accumulation of experience, the channels and procedures for handling urgent cross-boundary organ transplant requests have now been streamlined and standardised. The HKSAR Government will continue to explore arrangements for regularising this mechanism.”
     
         He also shared the latest developments in the prevention and control of liver disease in Hong Kong. He said, “Since 1988, Hong Kong has provided universal hepatitis B vaccination for all newborns, significantly reducing infection rates among younger generations. As outlined in last year’s Policy Address, the Chief Executive also proposed to implement hepatitis B screening to prevent liver cancer. If patients can be identified at an early stage, it will facilitate ‘early identification and early treatment’, thereby effectively reducing risks of developing complications including cirrhosis and liver cancer.”
     
         The conference was jointly organised by the Jiangsu Anti-cancer Association, the Jiangsu Medical Doctor Association, and the Jiangsu Medical Association. The conference brought together international experts and scholars in liver disease, as well as senior health officials from around the world.
     
         Professor Lo then visited the Jiangsu Province Hospital (the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University), where he exchanged views and shared experiences on enhancing hospital management and services with the President of Jiangsu Province Hospital (the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University), Professor Liu Yun. He said, “The Hospital Authority (HA) is adopting China’s International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version) developed by the Shenzhen Hospital Accreditation Research Centre to resume the hospital accreditation programme at its public hospitals. Through independent professional hospital accreditation organisations, various aspects of hospital performance are assessed in an objective manner, with a view to enhancing the quality of healthcare institutions and safeguarding patient safety. Moreover, the HA seeks to optimise the diagnosis process of the relevant specialties and improve the treatment outcomes through the establishment of the first stroke centre at Tuen Mun Hospital, as well as chest pain centres at both Queen Mary Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital in accordance with national accreditation standards, thereby enhancing the survival rate of patients.”
     
         Professor Lo added, “The HKSAR Government will continue to promote the accreditation programme under the Standards as well as the establishment of chest pain centres and stroke centres. These initiatives will not only improve healthcare integration within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and support Hong Kong’s integration into national development, but also leverage Hong Kong’s advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, so as to demonstrate the excellence of the national hospital accreditation standards to the international community.”
     
         The Assistant Director of Health (Drug), Mr Frank Chan; the Director (Quality and Safety) of the HA, Dr Michael Wong, and the Cluster Chief Executive of Hong Kong West Cluster of the HA, Dr Theresa Li, accompanied Professor Lo to attend today’s functions. They will return to Hong Kong this afternoon.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • PM Modi to distribute over 51,000 appointment letters at 16th Rozgar Mela today

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a push to accelerate employment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will distribute more than 51,000 appointment letters to newly inducted candidates in various government departments and organisations on Saturday at the 16th edition of the Rozgar Mela, which will take place virtually.

    PM Modi will address the recruits via video conferencing at around 11 a.m.

    Today’s event will be organised at 47 locations across the country, covering recruitments in several key Central Government Ministries and Departments. These include the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Department of Posts, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the Department of Financial Services, and the Ministry of Labour & Employment, among others.

    The new recruits, selected from different parts of the country, will take up roles in various sectors, further strengthening government service delivery and infrastructure.

    The appointments are expected to bring fresh energy and commitment to public administration while ensuring that government departments are adequately staffed to meet the growing demands of governance.

    This nationwide employment initiative, launched by PM Modi on October 22, 2022, is part of the government’s mission-mode approach to creating new job opportunities and bolstering the public workforce. Since its inception, the Rozgar Mela has led to the issuance of over 10 lakh appointment letters across India, according to official data.

    The Rozgar Mela symbolises the government’s ongoing commitment to harnessing the potential of India’s youth. By offering structured employment and career development opportunities, the initiative seeks to inspire the younger generation to actively contribute to nation-building.

    With a strong focus on merit, transparency, and efficiency, the Rozgar Mela continues to speed up the recruitment process and enhance public sector capacity.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pelosi Warns of Big, Ugly Bill’s Catastrophic Impacts on San Francisco Community Health Centers: “People are paying the price for their stupidity and unkindness.”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

    San Francisco – Today, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium (SFCCC) hosted a virtual press conference on the devastating impacts of the Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill on community health centers in San Francisco and the patients they serve.

    Pelosi was joined by SFCCC President and CEO Dr. Johanna Liu, SF Community Health Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dan O’Neill, and Native American Health Center Community Health Care Coordinator Ellen McInnes who outlined how the legislation’s sweeping cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act will jeopardize access to essential care for tens of thousands of San Franciscans—particularly low-income families, seniors and underserved communities.

    Pelosi underscored that Democrats will keep fighting to reverse the bill’s damage in the Congress, in the courts and in the community with legislation, litigation and mobilization.

    Watch the Speaker Emerita’s full remarks here.

    Read the transcript of Speaker Emerita Pelosi’s remarks below:

    Speaker Emerita Pelosi. Thank you very much, Johanna, for your leadership, for your kind words, for your understanding of what is at stake and what has happened here. I’m honored to join you and Dan O’Neill and Ellen McInnes—so proud of our Native American population in San Francisco.

    Now, here’s the thing. I appreciate what you said about the Affordable Care Act.

    I want to thank the San Francisco Clinic Consortium, because over the years, I’ve learned so much from you, and the legislation that is reflected in the Affordable Care Act is a reflection of what you have been doing over the years. I’ve worked with so many of your predecessors in this regard.

    People say to me: ‘If you had a new country and you had no health care at all, what would you have?’

    I said, ‘I would blanket the country with community health centers. I would do that and have a few hospitals as necessary.’

    But by and large, just blanket the country with the community health centers, because you are close to people—culturally, linguistically, in every way—it’s the best draw for them to even come in for care because they know they will be understood. So I thank you for that, and we want it to reflect that in the Affordable Care Act.

    Now, this monstrosity of a bill—how dare they call it beautiful. They’re always projecting. They know it’s not beautiful.

    So it’s not only ugly, it’s grotesque. But let’s just say for a moment, because I know we’re going to hear more, as you have, and from our guests on the panel. I’ll just say what we’re trying to do about it.

    It’s not only wrong, it is stupid—and whatever is worse than that. It’s not only not compassionate, it is sinful. It is sinful for what they are doing. And they’ve all just bought into it like, you know, some Kool Aid thing. Now, here’s the thing.

    I listened this morning to the policy briefing from the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium that was presented, and I took very extensive notes, which I can show you there, but all confirmed what we knew we were fighting against.

    But I’m not even sure the Republicans understood what they were voting for. But consistent with what I heard there, what we are doing is in three channels.

    One is litigation, and we’re winning many of those cases—litigation for a lot of things that what’s-his-name is doing. But in this case, to continue, intensify the litigation on this, A.

    B: Legislation. To keep putting up legislation that corrects all of this, to just push these people into a corner, to say you’re either for this or not. Don’t say you don’t know what was in the bill. This is an attempt to correct it. So you can’t get away with saying that anymore.

    The third is mobilization, which is part of communication. People say, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize.’

    Well, we want to make sure you know. President Lincoln said, ‘Public sentiment is everything.’

    Johanna, have you heard me say this a million times? ‘Public sentiment is everything. With it, you can accomplish almost anything. Without it, practically nothing.’

    But for public sentiment to prevail, people have to know. So we want to remove all doubt in anybody’s mind about how affected they are by all of this.

    This is a horrible thing that they’ve done to our country. And in your fight against it, thank you for that—for every individual person who would benefit, but also the fight for the culture and the character of what America is. This isn’t who we are.

    America is great because America is good, they say. Not with this bill. Stupid, mean-spirited, sinful. They go to church on Sunday and pray and then they prey on people the rest of the week by taking away their food, by taking away their health care. It’s awful.

    And just back to your point, the money standpoint, as you said so eloquently, Johanna.

    It costs a lot of money and opportunity cost to prove that eight percent or ten percent perhaps of the people who are receiving this benefit should be working harder or more, whatever it is.

    So one hundred percent of the people have to comply with whatever that is. And that applies to everything. I mean, I say that about free lunch for children in school. Any subject you can name, they increase the administrative cost at the expense of doing the right thing for people and not stigmatizing whatever their status might be.

    So I thank you for that. But litigation—and I know you’re all engaged in litigation—legislation, mobilization/communication to make sure.

    Now, I don’t want to talk politics, but in the next three months, we have to own August to make sure the public knows how they are affected because this is a brutal thing.

    While some of his supporters may think this is okay, they don’t believe in government. Our people are paying the price for their stupidity—stupidity and unkindness.

    I’ll just close by saying how we all started this. When we started the Affordable Care Act, it all began with Dr. King.

    Dr. King said, ‘Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman,’ he said. ‘Because it often results in physical death.’

    So every initiative, whatever we initiate, we begin after the election and ready and prepared for his birthday to go forward. John Lewis—his birthday is coming up in July, another week or so. And we carry forth that initiative with John to make sure that we make some good trouble just turning this thing around.

    Some of it doesn’t go into effect, as you know, until January 2027. But we want to make sure that when we win this next election—I’m talking civics here, not politics—when we win this next election, that they know that we’re ready to purge ourselves of this sinful, filthy, dirty, rotten, hateful, lousy, ugly legislation.

    In that spirit, I yield back my time.Read the transcript of Speaker Emerita Pelosi’s remarks below:

    Speaker Emerita Pelosi. Thank you very much, Johanna, for your leadership, for your kind words, for your understanding of what is at stake and what has happened here. I’m honored to join you and Dan O’Neill and Ellen McInnes—so proud of our Native American population in San Francisco.

    Now, here’s the thing. I appreciate what you said about the Affordable Care Act.

    I want to thank the San Francisco Clinic Consortium, because over the years, I’ve learned so much from you, and the legislation that is reflected in the Affordable Care Act is a reflection of what you have been doing over the years. I’ve worked with so many of your predecessors in this regard.

    People say to me: ‘If you had a new country and you had no health care at all, what would you have?’

    I said, ‘I would blanket the country with community health centers. I would do that and have a few hospitals as necessary.’

    But by and large, just blanket the country with the community health centers, because you are close to people—culturally, linguistically, in every way—it’s the best draw for them to even come in for care because they know they will be understood. So I thank you for that, and we want it to reflect that in the Affordable Care Act.

    Now, this monstrosity of a bill—how dare they call it beautiful. They’re always projecting. They know it’s not beautiful.

    So it’s not only ugly, it’s grotesque. But let’s just say for a moment, because I know we’re going to hear more, as you have, and from our guests on the panel. I’ll just say what we’re trying to do about it.

    It’s not only wrong, it is stupid—and whatever is worse than that. It’s not only not compassionate, it is sinful. It is sinful for what they are doing. And they’ve all just bought into it like, you know, some Kool Aid thing. Now, here’s the thing.

    I listened this morning to the policy briefing from the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium that was presented, and I took very extensive notes, which I can show you there, but all confirmed what we knew we were fighting against.

    But I’m not even sure the Republicans understood what they were voting for. But consistent with what I heard there, what we are doing is in three channels.

    One is litigation, and we’re winning many of those cases—litigation for a lot of things that what’s-his-name is doing. But in this case, to continue, intensify the litigation on this, A.

    B: Legislation. To keep putting up legislation that corrects all of this, to just push these people into a corner, to say you’re either for this or not. Don’t say you don’t know what was in the bill. This is an attempt to correct it. So you can’t get away with saying that anymore.

    The third is mobilization, which is part of communication. People say, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize.’

    Well, we want to make sure you know. President Lincoln said, ‘Public sentiment is everything.’

    Johanna, have you heard me say this a million times? ‘Public sentiment is everything. With it, you can accomplish almost anything. Without it, practically nothing.’

    But for public sentiment to prevail, people have to know. So we want to remove all doubt in anybody’s mind about how affected they are by all of this.

    This is a horrible thing that they’ve done to our country. And in your fight against it, thank you for that—for every individual person who would benefit, but also the fight for the culture and the character of what America is. This isn’t who we are.

    America is great because America is good, they say. Not with this bill. Stupid, mean-spirited, sinful. They go to church on Sunday and pray and then they prey on people the rest of the week by taking away their food, by taking away their health care. It’s awful.

    And just back to your point, the money standpoint, as you said so eloquently, Johanna.

    It costs a lot of money and opportunity cost to prove that eight percent or ten percent perhaps of the people who are receiving this benefit should be working harder or more, whatever it is.

    So one hundred percent of the people have to comply with whatever that is. And that applies to everything. I mean, I say that about free lunch for children in school. Any subject you can name, they increase the administrative cost at the expense of doing the right thing for people and not stigmatizing whatever their status might be.

    So I thank you for that. But litigation—and I know you’re all engaged in litigation—legislation, mobilization/communication to make sure.

    Now, I don’t want to talk politics, but in the next three months, we have to own August to make sure the public knows how they are affected because this is a brutal thing.

    While some of his supporters may think this is okay, they don’t believe in government. Our people are paying the price for their stupidity—stupidity and unkindness.

    I’ll just close by saying how we all started this. When we started the Affordable Care Act, it all began with Dr. King.

    Dr. King said, ‘Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman,’ he said. ‘Because it often results in physical death.’

    So every initiative, whatever we initiate, we begin after the election and ready and prepared for his birthday to go forward. John Lewis—his birthday is coming up in July, another week or so. And we carry forth that initiative with John to make sure that we make some good trouble just turning this thing around.

    Some of it doesn’t go into effect, as you know, until January 2027. But we want to make sure that when we win this next election—I’m talking civics here, not politics—when we win this next election, that they know that we’re ready to purge ourselves of this sinful, filthy, dirty, rotten, hateful, lousy, ugly legislation.

    In that spirit, I yield back my time.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pelosi Warns of Big, Ugly Bill’s Catastrophic Impacts on San Francisco Community Health Centers: “People are paying the price for their stupidity and unkindness.”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

    San Francisco – Today, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium (SFCCC) hosted a virtual press conference on the devastating impacts of the Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill on community health centers in San Francisco and the patients they serve.

    Pelosi was joined by SFCCC President and CEO Dr. Johanna Liu, SF Community Health Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dan O’Neill, and Native American Health Center Community Health Care Coordinator Ellen McInnes who outlined how the legislation’s sweeping cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act will jeopardize access to essential care for tens of thousands of San Franciscans—particularly low-income families, seniors and underserved communities.

    Pelosi underscored that Democrats will keep fighting to reverse the bill’s damage in the Congress, in the courts and in the community with legislation, litigation and mobilization.

    Watch the Speaker Emerita’s full remarks here.

    Read the transcript of Speaker Emerita Pelosi’s remarks below:

    Speaker Emerita Pelosi. Thank you very much, Johanna, for your leadership, for your kind words, for your understanding of what is at stake and what has happened here. I’m honored to join you and Dan O’Neill and Ellen McInnes—so proud of our Native American population in San Francisco.

    Now, here’s the thing. I appreciate what you said about the Affordable Care Act.

    I want to thank the San Francisco Clinic Consortium, because over the years, I’ve learned so much from you, and the legislation that is reflected in the Affordable Care Act is a reflection of what you have been doing over the years. I’ve worked with so many of your predecessors in this regard.

    People say to me: ‘If you had a new country and you had no health care at all, what would you have?’

    I said, ‘I would blanket the country with community health centers. I would do that and have a few hospitals as necessary.’

    But by and large, just blanket the country with the community health centers, because you are close to people—culturally, linguistically, in every way—it’s the best draw for them to even come in for care because they know they will be understood. So I thank you for that, and we want it to reflect that in the Affordable Care Act.

    Now, this monstrosity of a bill—how dare they call it beautiful. They’re always projecting. They know it’s not beautiful.

    So it’s not only ugly, it’s grotesque. But let’s just say for a moment, because I know we’re going to hear more, as you have, and from our guests on the panel. I’ll just say what we’re trying to do about it.

    It’s not only wrong, it is stupid—and whatever is worse than that. It’s not only not compassionate, it is sinful. It is sinful for what they are doing. And they’ve all just bought into it like, you know, some Kool Aid thing. Now, here’s the thing.

    I listened this morning to the policy briefing from the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium that was presented, and I took very extensive notes, which I can show you there, but all confirmed what we knew we were fighting against.

    But I’m not even sure the Republicans understood what they were voting for. But consistent with what I heard there, what we are doing is in three channels.

    One is litigation, and we’re winning many of those cases—litigation for a lot of things that what’s-his-name is doing. But in this case, to continue, intensify the litigation on this, A.

    B: Legislation. To keep putting up legislation that corrects all of this, to just push these people into a corner, to say you’re either for this or not. Don’t say you don’t know what was in the bill. This is an attempt to correct it. So you can’t get away with saying that anymore.

    The third is mobilization, which is part of communication. People say, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize.’

    Well, we want to make sure you know. President Lincoln said, ‘Public sentiment is everything.’

    Johanna, have you heard me say this a million times? ‘Public sentiment is everything. With it, you can accomplish almost anything. Without it, practically nothing.’

    But for public sentiment to prevail, people have to know. So we want to remove all doubt in anybody’s mind about how affected they are by all of this.

    This is a horrible thing that they’ve done to our country. And in your fight against it, thank you for that—for every individual person who would benefit, but also the fight for the culture and the character of what America is. This isn’t who we are.

    America is great because America is good, they say. Not with this bill. Stupid, mean-spirited, sinful. They go to church on Sunday and pray and then they prey on people the rest of the week by taking away their food, by taking away their health care. It’s awful.

    And just back to your point, the money standpoint, as you said so eloquently, Johanna.

    It costs a lot of money and opportunity cost to prove that eight percent or ten percent perhaps of the people who are receiving this benefit should be working harder or more, whatever it is.

    So one hundred percent of the people have to comply with whatever that is. And that applies to everything. I mean, I say that about free lunch for children in school. Any subject you can name, they increase the administrative cost at the expense of doing the right thing for people and not stigmatizing whatever their status might be.

    So I thank you for that. But litigation—and I know you’re all engaged in litigation—legislation, mobilization/communication to make sure.

    Now, I don’t want to talk politics, but in the next three months, we have to own August to make sure the public knows how they are affected because this is a brutal thing.

    While some of his supporters may think this is okay, they don’t believe in government. Our people are paying the price for their stupidity—stupidity and unkindness.

    I’ll just close by saying how we all started this. When we started the Affordable Care Act, it all began with Dr. King.

    Dr. King said, ‘Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman,’ he said. ‘Because it often results in physical death.’

    So every initiative, whatever we initiate, we begin after the election and ready and prepared for his birthday to go forward. John Lewis—his birthday is coming up in July, another week or so. And we carry forth that initiative with John to make sure that we make some good trouble just turning this thing around.

    Some of it doesn’t go into effect, as you know, until January 2027. But we want to make sure that when we win this next election—I’m talking civics here, not politics—when we win this next election, that they know that we’re ready to purge ourselves of this sinful, filthy, dirty, rotten, hateful, lousy, ugly legislation.

    In that spirit, I yield back my time.Read the transcript of Speaker Emerita Pelosi’s remarks below:

    Speaker Emerita Pelosi. Thank you very much, Johanna, for your leadership, for your kind words, for your understanding of what is at stake and what has happened here. I’m honored to join you and Dan O’Neill and Ellen McInnes—so proud of our Native American population in San Francisco.

    Now, here’s the thing. I appreciate what you said about the Affordable Care Act.

    I want to thank the San Francisco Clinic Consortium, because over the years, I’ve learned so much from you, and the legislation that is reflected in the Affordable Care Act is a reflection of what you have been doing over the years. I’ve worked with so many of your predecessors in this regard.

    People say to me: ‘If you had a new country and you had no health care at all, what would you have?’

    I said, ‘I would blanket the country with community health centers. I would do that and have a few hospitals as necessary.’

    But by and large, just blanket the country with the community health centers, because you are close to people—culturally, linguistically, in every way—it’s the best draw for them to even come in for care because they know they will be understood. So I thank you for that, and we want it to reflect that in the Affordable Care Act.

    Now, this monstrosity of a bill—how dare they call it beautiful. They’re always projecting. They know it’s not beautiful.

    So it’s not only ugly, it’s grotesque. But let’s just say for a moment, because I know we’re going to hear more, as you have, and from our guests on the panel. I’ll just say what we’re trying to do about it.

    It’s not only wrong, it is stupid—and whatever is worse than that. It’s not only not compassionate, it is sinful. It is sinful for what they are doing. And they’ve all just bought into it like, you know, some Kool Aid thing. Now, here’s the thing.

    I listened this morning to the policy briefing from the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium that was presented, and I took very extensive notes, which I can show you there, but all confirmed what we knew we were fighting against.

    But I’m not even sure the Republicans understood what they were voting for. But consistent with what I heard there, what we are doing is in three channels.

    One is litigation, and we’re winning many of those cases—litigation for a lot of things that what’s-his-name is doing. But in this case, to continue, intensify the litigation on this, A.

    B: Legislation. To keep putting up legislation that corrects all of this, to just push these people into a corner, to say you’re either for this or not. Don’t say you don’t know what was in the bill. This is an attempt to correct it. So you can’t get away with saying that anymore.

    The third is mobilization, which is part of communication. People say, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize.’

    Well, we want to make sure you know. President Lincoln said, ‘Public sentiment is everything.’

    Johanna, have you heard me say this a million times? ‘Public sentiment is everything. With it, you can accomplish almost anything. Without it, practically nothing.’

    But for public sentiment to prevail, people have to know. So we want to remove all doubt in anybody’s mind about how affected they are by all of this.

    This is a horrible thing that they’ve done to our country. And in your fight against it, thank you for that—for every individual person who would benefit, but also the fight for the culture and the character of what America is. This isn’t who we are.

    America is great because America is good, they say. Not with this bill. Stupid, mean-spirited, sinful. They go to church on Sunday and pray and then they prey on people the rest of the week by taking away their food, by taking away their health care. It’s awful.

    And just back to your point, the money standpoint, as you said so eloquently, Johanna.

    It costs a lot of money and opportunity cost to prove that eight percent or ten percent perhaps of the people who are receiving this benefit should be working harder or more, whatever it is.

    So one hundred percent of the people have to comply with whatever that is. And that applies to everything. I mean, I say that about free lunch for children in school. Any subject you can name, they increase the administrative cost at the expense of doing the right thing for people and not stigmatizing whatever their status might be.

    So I thank you for that. But litigation—and I know you’re all engaged in litigation—legislation, mobilization/communication to make sure.

    Now, I don’t want to talk politics, but in the next three months, we have to own August to make sure the public knows how they are affected because this is a brutal thing.

    While some of his supporters may think this is okay, they don’t believe in government. Our people are paying the price for their stupidity—stupidity and unkindness.

    I’ll just close by saying how we all started this. When we started the Affordable Care Act, it all began with Dr. King.

    Dr. King said, ‘Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman,’ he said. ‘Because it often results in physical death.’

    So every initiative, whatever we initiate, we begin after the election and ready and prepared for his birthday to go forward. John Lewis—his birthday is coming up in July, another week or so. And we carry forth that initiative with John to make sure that we make some good trouble just turning this thing around.

    Some of it doesn’t go into effect, as you know, until January 2027. But we want to make sure that when we win this next election—I’m talking civics here, not politics—when we win this next election, that they know that we’re ready to purge ourselves of this sinful, filthy, dirty, rotten, hateful, lousy, ugly legislation.

    In that spirit, I yield back my time.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LaMalfa Statement on House Passage of Budget Reconciliation Package

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Doug LaMalfa 1st District of California

    Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) released the following statement after the House passed the budget reconciliation package, sending it to President Trump’s desk for final approval:

    “This package delivers a lot of what we’ve been pushing for years. It means more jobs and a stronger economy. It makes Social Security checks tax-free for most seniors, protects Medicare, makes sure tips and overtime pay aren’t taxed, and extends tax relief so families can hold on to more of what they earn. It also opens up more of our country for energy and timber production and takes care of the West’s water needs by fixing canals and building more storage. It funds actually securing the border so we can finally finish the wall, remove criminal illegal aliens and get this crisis under control. Importantly, it gets us back to the principle that if you’re a healthy able-bodied adult, you should be employed. I’m glad to see the House pass it and look forward to seeing it signed into law.”

    The budget reconciliation package is expected to be signed into law by the President in the coming days.

    Background:

    • Tax Relief for Working Americans: Extends significant tax cuts, including about a 15% cut for those earning $30,000–$80,000. Expands the Child Tax Credit and adds a senior tax deduction of $6,000 to offset taxes on Social Security. Also exempts tips and overtime from being taxed. The median family in California’s 1st District will save around $3,500 under this bill.
    • Helping Families Afford New Cars: Makes it easier for working Americans to purchase new vehicles by making interest on new purchases of American made cars deductible.
    • Strengthens Timber & Farming: Expands timber harvesting and strengthens crop insurance and conservation tools, without adding red tape.
    • Public Lands: No sale of federally managed public lands.
    • Water Storage Expansion: Invests $1 billion to upgrade and expand water storage and fix canals, helping the West store and deliver more water in wet years.
    • Rural Healthcare: Includes a new $50 billion fund to keep rural hospitals afloat as states change Medicaid formulas.
    • Medicaid & SNAP Reform: Requires able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) to work, volunteer, or pursue education for at least 80 hours per month. Ends benefits for 1.4 million illegal immigrants.
    • Protects Seniors: Does not touch Social Security or Medicare while adding additional tax deductions to help seniors.
    • Energy & Resource Development: Repeals Green New Deal-style handouts, expands American oil, gas, and mineral production.
    • Border Security & Immigration Enforcement: Fully funds Trump’s border wall, ramps up deportations, adds thousands of new ICE and Border Patrol agents.

    Congressman Doug LaMalfa is Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and a lifelong farmer representing California’s First Congressional District, including Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba Counties.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Davids Speaks with Frontline Health Care Providers on Impact of Extreme Republican Medicaid Cuts

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

    KANSAS CITY, KS – Today, Representative Sharice Davids joined nearly 200 health care workers at Vibrant Health to discuss the harmful impact of recently enacted Republican Medicaid cuts. Davids heard directly from providers about how these cuts, which she voted against, will threaten all Kansas families’ access to affordable care — and reaffirmed her commitment to protecting the health and well-being of every Kansan, over billionaire tax giveaways.

    “Kansans shouldn’t have to pay more or travel farther for health care just so billionaires can get another tax break,” said Davids. “These Medicaid cuts will strip coverage from hardworking families, force rural hospitals to close, raise premiums, and reduce access to essential care for all children, seniors, and veterans. I voted against these cuts — and yes, I’m angry. But I’m also determined to keep pushing back against these extreme policies, lowering costs for Kansans, and protecting the care our communities count on.”

    “At Vibrant Health, our goal is to ensure that everyone in our community has access to high-quality healthcare,” said Patrick Sallee, President & CEO, Vibrant Health. “Many of the people we see in our clinics rely on Medicaid, many of them children, whose parents simply want them to grow up healthy and thrive. When families worry about the cost of care, they often delay or avoid essential preventive services. Cuts to Medicaid don’t just reduce coverage — they increase the barriers our patients face in staying healthy.”

    The law, signed last week by President Trump, includes the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history. According to the U.S. Congressional Joint Economic Committee, the new law will strip coverage from 92,937 Kansans, put six rural hospitals across Kansas at risk of closure, restrict reproductive health care, and increase Affordable Care Act premiums by $780 per year for Third District families.

    President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ Medicaid cuts will hit Kansas hard, with hospitals across the state projected to lose more than $78 million annually. The University of Kansas Hospital, Overland Park Regional Medical Center, and AdventHealth Shawnee Mission are among those facing the steepest losses. Medicaid covers one-fifth of hospital spending, so eliminating coverage for nearly 12 million Americans will significantly increase uncompensated care, including at Community Health Centers. Hospitals already operating in the red may not survive the added financial pressures of treating more uninsured patients without reimbursement.

    “Health Partnership Clinic is evaluating the impact that the recently passed bill will have on our organization and patients that we serve,” said Amy Falk, Chief Executive Officer, Health Partnership Clinic. “Any time there are potential cuts that may affect our funding, we do a thorough analysis and make the necessary adjustments that are needed, and sometimes these are not easy decisions. HPC remains committed to being here for the patients we serve in Johnson, Miami, and Franklin counties.”

    These harmful provisions in the law go far beyond health care. In the Kansas Third District alone, 15,000 households could lose access to emergency nutrition assistance, and local grocery stores — especially in rural communities — may be forced to close. Cuts to clean energy incentives could eliminate up to 10,000 good-paying jobs and increase utility bills by $670 per household. Meanwhile, the law adds $3.3 trillion to the national debt and gives massive tax breaks to billionaires, even as it raises taxes on hardworking families.

    Throughout her time in Congress, Davids has championed policies to make health care more affordable and accessible. She voted to cap insulin costs at $35 per month for Medicare recipients, extend tax credits that help families afford insurance through the Affordable Care Act, and cap annual out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors. She also supported giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices — saving 74,000 Kansans up to 79 percent — and led efforts to ban surprise medical billing and increase transparency from insurers to help patients avoid costly out-of-network care.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Davids Opposes Partisan Bill That Slashes Health Care, Food to Benefit Billionaires

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

    Today, Representative Sharice Davids released the following statement after voting against President Trump and U.S. House Republicans’ extreme budget that cuts health care and raises grocery prices for hardworking families to pay for tax giveaways for billionaires and ultrawealthy corporations. 

    “Simply put, President Trump’s extreme budget hurts everyone who isn’t already a billionaire,” said Davids. “It hands out tax giveaways to the ultra-wealthy while gutting Medicaid, raising grocery prices, and putting rural hospitals and reproductive health care at risk — all while adding trillions to the national debt. I was raised by a single mom in the Army, so I know what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck. This proposal would only make it harder for families like the one I grew up in. Kansans deserve responsible leadership, not reckless cuts and partisan gimmicks — that’s why I’m focused on a commonsense, bipartisan path forward that actually lowers costs, supports small businesses, and grows our economy responsibly.”

    Background:

    President Trump and U.S. House Republicans pushed a budget that would make the largest cuts to Medicaid and emergency food assistance in American history — all to fund tax giveaways for billionaires. These extreme cuts would gut programs that help Kansans afford food and stay healthy. In contrast, Davids supports a commonsense tax framework to lower costs for Kansas’ hardworking families, support small businesses, and strengthen our long-term economy.

    How This Bill Hurts Kansans: Raising costs on the middle class so billionaires pay less

    • HIGHER Health Care Costs: The Joint Economic Committee estimates 92,937 Kansans will lose health care coverage under this reckless bill, including those on Medicaid. These cuts put six rural hospitals across Kansas at risk of closing and would increase Affordable Care Act premiums by $780 for people in Kansas’ Third District.
    • HIGHER Grocery Costs:In Kansas’ Third District alone, 15,000 households could lose access to the emergency food assistance they rely on through this bill. Also, local grocery stores nationwide may be forced to close due to lost revenue, worsening food deserts, especially in rural communities. These cuts would reduce farm income by more than $25 billion and threaten good-paying jobs.
    • HIGHER Utility Bills: Davids previously supported tax credits that are helping Kansans save on their energy bills, supporting farmers, and creating thousands of good-paying jobs across the state. But now, this budget proposal would gut those cost-saving policies — including some that even Republicans have backed. It’s projected to eliminate 10,000 manufacturing and energy jobs in Kansas and raise annual energy costs by $670 per household.
    • LOWER Reproductive Health Care Access: This bill would gut access to reproductive health care by putting nearly 200 Planned Parenthood health centers in 24 states at risk of closure — making it harder for 1.1 million patients to get lifesaving care like cancer screenings, birth control, abortion services, and more. 90 percent of those closures would happen in states where abortion is legal and protected, including Kansas.

    • HIGHER Deficit: The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget reported that this Trump-backed bill would add $3.3 trillion to the national deficit through 2034. Such high levels of borrowing could substantially boost interest rates, slow economic growth, and spark a debt spiral.

    • LOWER Taxes for Billionaires: The Republican budget actually raises taxes on the lowest-income families in the country, all while billionaires who already pay next to nothing in taxes get more breaks. The top 0.1 percent stands to gain $309,000, or $847 every day, in 2027 alone. This bill shows exactly where U.S. House Republicans’ loyalties lie: not with the hardworking Americans who sent them to Congress, but to Trump and their billionaire donors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Davids Discusses Fentanyl Epidemic with Local Health Care Workers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

    OVERLAND PARK, KS – Today, Representative Sharice Davids joined local health care workers and law enforcement officials for another summit regarding the growing threat of fentanyl, the number one cause of overdose deaths in the United States. The group discussed the challenges health care workers face when caring for fentanyl-related overdose patients and how Davids can better support their work in Congress.

    “The fentanyl crisis is a public health emergency — both here in Kansas and across the country — and our health care workers and first responders are on the front lines every day saving lives,” said Davids. “Thanks in part to their tireless efforts, we’re finally starting to see a decline in overdose deaths. But even one life lost is one too many. Today’s conversation was eye-opening and reaffirmed my commitment to listening, learning, and fighting for the tools Kansans need to stay safe.”

    Rep. Sharice Davids speaking on the fentanyl crisis at St. Luke’s Hospital

    Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine, is increasingly found in fake prescription pills such as Vicodin, OxyContin, or Adderall. Overdose deaths dropped by 24 percent from September 2023 to September 2024. Davids is working to build on this momentum and remains committed to protecting Kansans’ health through continued action in Congress.

    Davids, a member of the bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus, has collaborated with Midwest HIDTA, a regional office working to reduce illicit drug availability, on multiple fentanyl summits with health care workers, education professionals, and law enforcement officers. She has also taken several legislative actions based on the specific needs of the Kansas Third District, including:

    • Joining a bipartisan group of lawmakers to request funding for new handheld mass spectrometry trace-level chemical detection devices at domestic ports.
    • Urging the FDA to take up expert recommendations and make Narcan, a common naloxone nasal spray, available without a prescription — which they did earlier this year.
    • Securing a nearly $16 million grant to help law enforcement seize illicit drugs like fentanyl, reduce violent crime associated with drug trafficking, and improve data collection.
    • Voting to permanently place all fentanyl-related substances into a Schedule I class, labeling the drug with a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical value.
    • Helping pass a bipartisan bill to create a public awareness campaign about synthetic opioids. This came after meeting with Libby Davis, a Johnson County resident whose son passed away after taking a counterfeit pill that was unknowingly laced with fentanyl.
    • Pushing for expanded federal grant opportunities, so law enforcement and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) can easily acquire life-saving naloxone kits.
    • Visiting the Port of Long Beach to see how the port uses state-of-the-art technologies to prevent harmful substances — like fentanyl — from entering the country illegally.

    Summit attendees included health care and public health representatives from AdventHealth, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Elizabeth Layton Center, Franklin County Public Health, Johnson County Emergency Medical Services (MED-ACT), Johnson County Mental Health, Kansas City Kansas Fire Department, Kansas City Kansas Police Department, Miami County Health Department, Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (HIDTA), Saint Luke’s Health System, The University of Kansas Health System, and Wyandotte County Health Department.

    Community members looking to learn more about how to keep their families safe can visit the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Kansas City-focused website. Resources and prevention services for individuals, families, schools, and others are available.

    What they’re saying:

    “In Miami County, we are working closely with local partners through our mental health initiative to address substance use and overdose prevention in a comprehensive, community-driven way,” said Christena Beer, Public Health Director, Miami County. “We are utilizing opioid settlement funds to support allowable abatement strategies focused on coordinated care, early intervention, and public health education. These efforts are critical in reducing the harms of fentanyl and supporting long-term recovery across the communities we serve.”

    “From distributing naloxone to raising awareness through the You Never Know campaign, the Johnson County Prevention and Recovery Coalition has played a critical role in our community’s fight against the fentanyl crisis,” said Tim DeWeese, Director, Johnson County Mental Health Center. “Their work is a powerful example of the impact a coordinated response can have on efforts to save lives. We look forward to continuing to work with Rep. Davids and all our partners to reduce overdose and poisoning deaths in Johnson County and Kansas.”

    “As caregivers, our fundamental responsibility is the wellbeing of our patients and the larger community,” said Dr. Jennifer Elliott, chair of Saint Luke’s Opioid Stewardship Program and medical director of Saint Luke’s Pain Management Clinic. “Through Saint Luke’s Opioid Stewardship Program, we provide needed resources and education and have implemented measures to ensure we are good stewards of these prescriptions. We are committed to continue raising awareness on this important issue and working together on a solution with Rep. Davids and others in our community.”

    “Emergency Medical Services witnesses firsthand the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on our communities,” said Adiel Garcia, Division Chief – Education & Integrated Healthcare, Johnson County Department of Emergency Services. “Johnson County MED-ACT is responding with evidence-based care, including expanded use of naloxone, proactive community outreach, and partnerships with treatment providers. We are committed not just to saving lives in the moment, but to being part of a long-term solution that connects patients to the help they need through follow-ups, referrals, and wrap around services.”

    “Representative Davids’ commitment to combating the fentanyl crisis and protecting our communities is deeply appreciated by the entire law enforcement community,” said Daniel W. Neill, Executive Director, Midwest HIDTA. “Her strong support for the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area in Kansas ensures that state, local, tribal, and federal agencies can continue working together to save lives, dismantle drug trafficking organizations, and disrupt the flow of fentanyl into our region. Her advocacy for sustained HIDTA funding reflects a clear understanding that collaboration — not fragmentation — is the key to turning the tide against this epidemic.”

    “The Kansas City Kansas Fire Department is very pleased that Representative Sharice Davids is keeping all public safety agencies focused on continuing the fight against the illegal distribution and use of fentanyl,” said Dennis L. Rubin, Fire Chief, Kansas City Kansas Fire Department. “The misuse of fentanyl usually comes with a heavy price tag. The KCKFD Fire Department responds to emergency calls for help involving this powerful drug almost daily. More often than not, the person or people in trouble are the youth of this community. The KCKFD is proud to work alongside of the Congress Member Davids to work toward eradicating this emerging community crisis.”

    “I’m always saying anything is everything,” said Keatherann Sharp, Community Health Outreach Director, Wyandotte County Health Department. “When you are helping a person, they remember the smallest thing and when it comes to a person in active use, they remember everything. So, a simple smile can be the turning point for them.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Doctor Pleads Guilty to Role in Telemedicine Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    CLEVELAND – Mohammed Ahmad, 38, of Avon, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to submitting orders for patients in connection with a durable medical equipment (DME) scheme that caused Medicare to be unnecessarily billed for thousands of dollars. Medicare is a federal health care benefit program that provides items and services mainly to people who are age 65 and older.

    According to court documents, Ahmad has been a licensed physician in Ohio since 2014 and worked as a contractor for Florida-based Lifeline Recruiting Inc. to provide telemedicine services. Lifeline Recruiting purchased “leads” of Medicare beneficiaries and used call center services to find and target individuals who were eligible to receive orthotic braces and other DME. Lifeline provided pre-completed orders for Ahmad to review and sign to authorize treatment with DME as medically necessary, even though he did not personally examine patients or conduct the tests that his orders indicated he had performed.

    From November 2018 to May 2019, medical orders that Ahmad signed caused approximately $267,402 in false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare, of which approximately $126,643 was paid.

    On July 9, 2025, Ahmad pleaded guilty after being charged by information for making false statements related to health care matters in connection with the DME telemedicine scheme. He faces a maximum of up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is yet to be scheduled.

    This investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea S. Rice and Erica D. Barnhill prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.

    This case is part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The Takedown is part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that brought criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers. For more information, visit: justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/2025-national-health-care-fraud-takedown.

    The owner of Lifeline Recruiting, Alicia Hiller, pleaded guilty in March to charges related to the scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 5, 2025, in the Southern District of Florida.

    To report health care fraud and abuse, call 1-800-HHS-TIPS (8477).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MATSUI AND CRENSHAW INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO PREVENT DRUG SHORTAGES BY ADDRESSING VULNERABILITIES IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL SUPPLY CHAIN

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) introduced the Mapping America’s Pharmaceutical Supply (MAPS) Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen the federal government’s ability to prepare for and mitigate future drug shortages by identifying vulnerabilities in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

    The MAPS Act would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to update its Essential Medicines List and create a map of the pharmaceutical supply chain. The map would include the country of origin, quantity manufactured, and other key information about critical drug products to identify supply chain weaknesses that could lead to shortages or other challenges in a future public health emergency. With this insight, HHS will be better equipped to predict disruptions, identify bottlenecks, and build resilience into the system—ultimately helping to prevent future public health emergencies. 

    The bill would also require the Secretary to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of these supply chains.  The assessment would examine the key ingredients needed to manufacture essential medicines, overreliance on high-risk foreign sources, sole-sourced products, current domestic manufacturing capabilities, cybersecurity threats, and any other gaps that may reduce the federal government’s ability to identify health and national security risks related to our essential medicine supply chains.

    “Recent drug shortages have exposed serious gaps in our pharmaceutical supply chain — gaps that put lives at risk,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “Right now, we lack full visibility into where and how our essential medicines are made. We don’t know the extent of our reliance on foreign agents for key drug ingredients, or how a natural disaster would impact the drug supply. The MAPS Act is a crucial step to provide us with a comprehensive roadmap. By increasing transparency, we can bolster the weaknesses in our supply chain, better prepare for future public health emergencies and protect the well-being of all Americans.”  

    “Too often, we fail to recognize domestic drug manufacturing for what it truly is—a national security issue,” said Congressman Crenshaw. “Every time we rely on foreign nations, especially our adversaries, for essential medicines or their ingredients, we hand them dangerous leverage over us. This bill is a critical step forward: it gives us the tools to map our pharmaceutical supply chains, identify vulnerabilities, and better prepare for threats before they arise.”

    According to the Association of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP), ongoing and active drug shortages continue to be dangerously high, with 270 drugs currently in shortage. Despite progress from the FDA in preventing and mitigating drug shortages, these efforts are largely reactive. Shortage prevention efforts could be more effective if they were proactive and targeted to the most vulnerable and essential drugs.  

    Active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) – the key ingredients that give a drug their intended effect – are largely manufactured overseas in China or India. The MAPS Act would establish a supply chain map including the origin of each drug, the location of the facilities used to manufacture them, and associated inspections and risks, such as recalls and import alerts.

    Endorsing organizations include: California Hospital Association, Texas Hospital Association, Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), Angels for Change, CivicaRx, U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO), Phlow and Vizient.

    “ASHP strongly supports the MAPS Act. By requiring the Department of Health and Human services to coordinate with other agencies and the private sector to map the pharmaceutical supply chain, threats to the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain can be identified and addressed before they place patients at risk,” saidTom Kraus, Vice President of ASHP Government Relations.  

    “ASCO applauds the introduction of the MAPS Act, in the House of Representatives. This legislation aims to improve stakeholder visibility into the supply of critical prescription drugs in this country and ultimately used to mitigate the harms patients face amid drug shortages,” saidLynn M. Schuchter, MD, FASCO, Board Chair of the Association for Clinical Oncology. “We applaud Representatives Matsui and Crenshaw for their bipartisan dedication to improving access to cancer drug treatments and other critical medications.”

    “Prolonged and persistent drug shortages over the past two decades are jeopardizing Americans’ access to critical treatments and increasing our vulnerability to disruptions from natural disasters, pandemics, and geopolitical instability,” said Ronald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Pharmacopeia. “Building meaningful and lasting resilience across this complex supply chain requires comprehensive reform. The MAPS Act will improve our ability to leverage tools, like USP’s Medicine Supply Map, to detect risks, anticipate shortages, and safeguard national security. As we seek further insight on the sourcing of key starting materials and API for producing our most vulnerable medicines, these collaborations are critical for understanding our vulnerabilities, as well as unlocking innovative solutions, like advanced manufacturing and scalable synthesis technologies.”  

    “Angels for Change proudly supports the MAPS Act—a vital step toward ending drug shortages and protecting patients,” saidLaura Bray, Founder and Chief Change Maker of Angels for Change. “This bipartisan legislation will strengthen transparency and coordination across the entire drug supply chain, helping to detect and prevent disruptions before they impact care. Building the reliable supply chain patients deserve will require collaboration across government and industry. We applaud Representatives Matsui and Crenshaw for their leadership in prioritizing the safeguarding of Essential Medicines that will benefit all US patients.”  

    Full text of the bill is available HERE. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: THOMPSON, SCHWEIKERT, MATSUI, BALDERSON INTRODUCE TELEHEALTH PERMANENCE BILL

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

    Washington – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04), David Schweikert (AZ-01), Doris Matsui (CA-07), and Troy Balderson (OH-12) announced the introduction of the bipartisan and bicameral CONNECT for Health Act, legislation that would expand telehealth access for millions of Americans on Medicare. 

    “Since my days in the California State Senate, I’ve been a big believer in telehealth’s ability to save money, time, and lives,” said Rep. Thompson. “Telehealth allows patients—especially those with low mobility or who otherwise can’t make it to the doctor’s office—to access the care they need when they need it. The CONNECT for Health Act will provide Americans on Medicare with the peace of mind that telehealth will be covered by their benefits. Proud to join Representatives Matsui, Schweikert, and Balderson to introduce this bill.”        

    “Digital health isn’t just a convenience, it’s a modern necessity. It’s how we make care more accessible, especially for rural and underserved communities, without blowing up the budget,” said Congressman Schweikert. “By permanently removing outdated restrictions, the CONNECT for Health Act helps Medicare keep pace with the real world. This is about using technology to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and meet patients where they are.” 

    “Telehealth is a proven tool to meet patients where they are and increase access to quality care throughout our communities,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “The expansion of telehealth services has been crucial to reaching our most vulnerable patients, older Americans, and the traditionally underserved. The CONNECT for Health Act permanently removes barriers to this critical resource and keeps it accessible for Medicare beneficiaries for years to come.”

    “Telehealth has become a core component for how we deliver high-quality care, especially in rural and underserved communities,” said Rep. Balderson. “The CONNECT for Health Act ensures Medicare keeps pace with modern medicine by removing outdated restrictions, expanding who can provide telehealth, and giving patients the flexibility to receive care from home. This legislation would be a big win for providers in rural Ohio, like our Federally Qualified Health Centers, who are the front line of care in many of the communities I represent.”

    “Permanently extending telehealth coverage will benefit patients and physicians far and wide, ushering in a new era of patient care. Medicare coverage of telehealth offers better access to health care not just for rural and other underserved communities; it also reduces travel time and serves as a vital tool for patients to receive seamless care with their existing physicians.  We deeply appreciate Representatives Thompson, Schweikert, Balderson, and Matsui for their leadership,” said American Medical Association President Bobby Mukkamala, M.D.

    The CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 would permanently expand access to telehealth services—ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries can continue to receive essential care.

    • Telehealth utilization surged in 2020 when CMS waived many statutory restrictions on telehealth to ensure continued access to health care during the public health emergency.
    • Recent reports find that older adults and individuals from underserved communities benefited the most from expanded telehealth access.
    • Since 2021, Medicare beneficiaries’ telehealth utilization has stabilized at 15 percent, while overall health care use is level, indicating that telehealth often substitutes in-person care.
    • With telehealth flexibilities set to expire in September 2025, beneficiaries will lose access to care due to statutory restrictions, including requirements that only permit beneficiaries to receive telehealth services if they are in rural areas and at certain clinical sites.
    • Permanent changes to Medicare’s coverage of telehealth services are critical in order to protect access to care and fully integrate telehealth into care delivery.

    The full bill text can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: In Urumqi, a girl from Almaty successfully underwent an operation to reconstruct the Achilles tendon

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) — A little patient from Almaty recently underwent successful Achilles tendon reconstruction surgery at the Children’s Hospital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Urumqi, the Xinjiang News Portal reported.

    On June 12 this year, a married couple from Almaty with their daughter came to the medical workers of this hospital. As a result of a traffic accident that happened six months ago, the girl received serious injuries to her right leg. After the tragedy, stitches were put on the wound at the local hospital. However, due to damage to the Achilles tendon, the child’s right foot gradually stopped functioning normally, and the girl could only limp.

    The reconstructive microsurgery department at this hospital developed a reconstructive surgery plan for the patient and carefully carried out a series of procedures to ensure that her foot met the requirements for surgery.

    On June 27, the head of the department, Tian Jingshun, and his colleagues performed surgery on the girl. The surgical treatment technique was autoplasty, which means using the patient’s own tissue. Under a microscope, the doctors successfully separated a piece of tendon tissue from the girl’s leg, including skin and blood vessels, and sewed it to the injured foot.

    A week after the operation, it was observed that the sutured tendon had become viable, and the blood vessels and nerve tissues were functioning normally. It is expected that the girl will be able to conduct foot rehabilitation training in a month, and will return to normal walking in about three months, Tian Jingshun said.

    Let us recall that this is the third case of admission of a foreign minor patient to the reconstructive microsurgery department of this hospital this year. Over the past few years, the hospital has admitted a total of more than 500 patients from Central Asian countries.

    “China is a leader in the field of microsurgery. My colleagues and I are trying to meet the medical treatment needs of as many patients as possible from both Xinjiang and neighboring Central Asian countries,” said Tian Jingshun. -0-

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Underwood Introduces Prioritizing Rural Hospitals Act to Strengthen Health Care in Rural America

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

    WASHINGTON – Representative Lauren Underwood introduced the Prioritizing Rural Hospitals Act, bipartisan legislation co-led by Rep. Tracey Mann (R-KS). The Prioritizing Rural Hospitals Act would address the pressing health care disparities that rural communities face by prioritizing funding for rural health care facilities applying for Rural Development funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

    “Republicans just passed the largest cut to health care in American history, and now hundreds of rural health care facilities are projected to close. We must act immediately to address the significant challenges that people in our rural communities are facing in accessing quality health care,” said Congresswoman Underwood. “The Prioritizing Rural Hospitals Act is a crucial step towards addressing these disparities, providing essential resources to improve health care infrastructure, and support the dedicated professionals who serve these areas.”

    Nearly 1 in 5 Americans live in rural areas and they face significant health care disparities compared to Americans living in urban areas. The shortage of physicians, longer wait times, and need to travel long distances to access medical care are just a few of the challenges rural residents endure.

    This bill will provide much-needed support to these communities by prioritizing funding for health facilities and ensuring USDA resources can be used to renovate, remodel, and equip closed facilities.

    Rural hospital closures result in inadequate preventive health care for rural residents, increasing the need for emergency treatments that are becoming increasingly unavailable. By prioritizing funding and resources for rural health care facilities, the Prioritizing Rural Hospitals Act will help ensure that residents in rural areas receive the essential care they need.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Crow Leads Bipartisan Bill to Help Servicemembers Suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06), a former Army Ranger, has introduced the Support Modern Approaches in Recovery Technology for Traumatic Brain Injury (SMART for TBI) Act, bipartisan legislation that would improve care for active-duty servicemembers suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) by identifying ways that digital technology can be used to better deliver care.

    Due to the rigors of military training and combat, servicemembers are particularly vulnerable to traumatic brain injury. TBI affects brain function, and if left untreated, people have a higher risk of experiencing mental health or substance use problems, as well as an increased risk of suicide. Between 2000 and 2019, more than 400,000 American servicemembers were diagnosed with at least one TBI – and more than 185,000 veterans have been diagnosed with TBI through the VA system. 

    Congressman Crow’s Support Modern Approaches in Recovery Technology for Traumatic Brain Injury (SMART for TBI) Act would require the establishment of a working group to identify ways digital technology can treat our active-duty servicemembers with TBI. Congressman Jeff Crank (R-CO-05) joined Congressman Crow in introducing this bipartisan legislation.

    “As a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, caring for our servicemembers is personal to me,” said Congressman Crow. “That’s why I’m introducing a bipartisan bill to identify new ways to treat traumatic brain injury & deliver world-class care for our servicemembers.”

    “I am proud to cosponsor the SMART for TBI. We owe it to our service men and women, along with our veterans, to advance Traumatic Brain Injury treatments. Using Artificial Intelligence and digital health technologies, we can improve outcomes for servicemembers and veterans in training and operational environments,” said Congressman Jeff Crank.

    “Conducting innovative medical research into traumatic brain injuries is crucial for active duty warfighters, veterans, and first responder communities,” noted Vik Bebarta, MD, interim chair of Emergency Medicine and the director of the Center for Combat and Battlefield Research at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.  “We are grateful for Congressman Crow and Congressman Crank’s leadership by introducing SMART TBI Act,  ensuring Colorado remains the leader in digital health innovation and TBI treatment.”

    As an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, ensuring America’s military servicemembers and their families get the appropriate care and resources is a top priority for Congressman Crow. In the 118th Congress, he introduced the Veteran’s Sentinel Act, bipartisan legislation to respond to suicide by US veterans at Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) facilities by improving the accuracy of data collection and enhancing congressional oversight. Previously, he introduced the Justice Involved Veterans Support Act and supported the PACT Act, which expands health care to millions of servicemembers exposed to toxic chemicals.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Golden statement on passage of GOP’s partisan reconciliation bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

    So-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ hurts the working poor and undermines America’s future to pay for tax cuts for the rich

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) released the following statement after the House GOP gave final passage to H.R. 1, their reconciliation budget bill, in a party-line 218-214 vote.  

    Golden voted against the bill. 

    “This year, we had a real opportunity to pass a budget that put the middle class first. The reality of slim majorities in both chambers of Congress should have created an incentive to work across the aisle. The parties could have worked together to extend middle-class tax cuts without giveaways to corporations and the wealthy. We could have built on the success of $35 insulin and Medicare drug price negotiations to make health care more affordable. We could have reduced the deficit — something both parties agree should be a priority.

    “Instead, from the very beginning, this GOP majority has used a broken, partisan process where the only choices put on the floor seemed to be ‘bad’ or ‘worse.’ 

    “As a result, we have a law that will take health care away from tens of thousands of Mainers, close rural hospitals across the country, and blow up the national debt — all to pay for tax cuts that mostly benefit those at the top. While I am proud to join the entire Maine delegation in voting against this bill, the truth is Mainers will suffer because of this partisan, harmful budget.” 

    Background on H.R. 1, the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill Act”:

    • Lost Coverage, Increased Health Care Costs: The bill cuts Medicaid by $930 billion, and eliminates tax credits that help individuals afford insurance on the ACA marketplace (coverME.gov in Maine). Estimates on the impact on coverage rates vary, but Maine DHHS says as many as 31,000 Mainers will lose MaineCare coverage in the first year. Mainers who buy insurance plans on the marketplace will see premiums rise by $1,280 on average, and tens of thousands are expected to lose coverage in the face of those steep premium increases.
    • Rural Hospitals to Close: Medicaid cuts and other provisions that target support for rural health care will put the squeeze on hospitals in places like Maine, many of which are already facing a budget crisis. One study found that two hospitals in ME-02 — one in Ellsworth and another in Presque Isle — are among the more than 300 rural hospitals nationwide most at risk of closure because of the cuts.
    • A System Rigged for the Top: The bill extends the lopsided tax cuts from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, among other tax provisions.That includes nearly $1 trillion in tax cuts for the top 1 percent, while cuts for health care and food assistance mean the bottom 20 percent will see their after-tax income decrease.
    • Exploding National Debt: The bill will add up to $3.9 trillion to the debt through Fiscal Year 2034. In 10 years, the bill could see the national debt climb to 130 percent of GDP — a new record high. Payments on the debt are already the third-highest line item in the federal budget, behind only Medicare and Social Security.
    • A Precedent for Dishonest Accounting: The bill uses an accounting trick known as the “current policy baseline” to artificially reduce the legislation’s cost in Congress’ accounting of revenues and expenditures. This never-before used gimmick sets a dangerous precedent by which majority parties can enact costly agendas without a fair and honest accounting of the price. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Omar’s Statement on Voting NO on Final Big Ugly GOP Budget Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN)

    WASHINGTON—Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) released the following statement after voting “no” on the final version of the GOP budget bill.

    “This bill is one of the most cruel, immoral pieces of legislation that Congress has ever voted on. Not only did this bill get worse from the last time the House voted on it, it will be remembered as one of the most catastrophic bills passed in modern history.

    “Because my Republican colleagues cowered to special interests and their billionaire donors, 17 million Americans will lose their health coverage. This passage could cause 50,000 Americans to die each year because Republicans shamefully voted to kick millions off Medicaid and failed to extend the premium tax credits in the Affordable Care Act. It will also increase healthcare costs and endanger access to care for all Americans. Rural hospitals will be forced to shut down. Nursing homes and community health centers will be gravely impacted.

    “This bill is the biggest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in history. While working people will be devastated, billionaires will receive massive tax cuts. Not only are the tax cuts permanent for the ultra-wealthy, any benefit to low-income families is only temporary. It will deepen the wealth and income inequality gap.

    “In poll after poll, the American people are clear in their disdain for this bill. From cuts to nutrition assistance to increasing the cost of college to higher utility bills – the American people are clear-eyed in opposing it. Donald Trump and Republicans know this, which is why they rammed this bill through. Every single American will remember who chose to side with billionaires instead of working people.

    “This bill is morally bankrupt and an attack on working people. For those reasons, I voted NO.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Rep. Ilhan Omar Pens Op-Ed in Minnesota Star Tribune Sounding the Alarm on Republicans’ Cruel Budget Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN)

    MINNEAPOLIS– Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) authored an op-ed in the Minnesota Star Tribune on how the passage of the Republican “One Big, Beautiful Bill” will be devastating for her constituents in Minnesota’s Fifth District and across the nation. Her op-ed focuses on the historical funding cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and higher education programs. She also discussed how the bill facilitates the largest upward wealth transfer in American history, all while giving ICE a higher budget than almost all of the world’s militaries.

    You can view the op-ed here and below. 

    U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar: Republican ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ is best characterized by how it harms

    My House colleagues Tom Emmer, Brad Finstad, Michelle Fischbach and Pete Stauber should be ashamed.

    By Ilhan Omar

    President Donald Trump just signed the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” one of the most cruel, immoral pieces of legislation ever passed. Every single Republican member of the Minnesota congressional delegation voted to greenlight this catastrophic bill. Tom Emmer, Brad Finstad, Michelle Fischbach and Pete Stauber should be ashamed. They voted to take away health care for 173,268 Minnesotans in the biggest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in history. It will be remembered as one of the most harmful pieces of legislation ever signed into law.

    Because my Republican colleagues cowered to special interests and their billionaire donors, 17 million Americans, including thousands of Minnesotans, will lose their health coverage. This passage could cause 50,000 Americans to die each year because Republicans shamefully voted to kick millions off Medicaid and failed to extend the premium tax credits in the Affordable Care Act. Even Republicans have acknowledged the harm this will cause, one Senate Republican even wrote a New York Times commentary titled “Don’t Cut Medicaid” before caving to Trump at the expense of his constituents. It will also increase health care costs and endanger access to care for all Americans. Rural hospitals will be forced to shut down. Nursing homes and community health clinics will be severely affected. The damage will have far-reaching, incomprehensible consequences.

    This bill contains $186 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These cuts mean vulnerable families will go hungry. At a time when food insecurity is rising across the country, Republicans chose to gut lifesaving nutrition assistance. In my district, nearly 90,000 people rely on SNAP to put food on the table. These are single parents, seniors and essential workers who depend on this assistance to afford groceries. Recently, I hosted a roundtable discussion with Minnesota’s U.S. Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar on the impact of these catastrophic cuts to SNAP. I heard from many of my constituents that they will now have to make the painstaking decision between paying their rent or affording groceries. Others shared they don’t know how they will be able to feed their kids without the lifeline of SNAP. Cutting nutrition assistance for the most at-risk communities is one of the most egregious and unconscionable actions the Republicans included in their betrayal budget.

    This bill is the biggest upward wealth transfer in American history. While working people will be devastated, billionaires will walk away with massive benefits. Low- and middle-income families may see tiny tax cuts and temporary scraps, such as no tax on tips, but they will be quickly wiped out by rising costs from tariffs, benefit cuts, and higher interest rates. Meanwhile, millionaires and billionaires will rake in massive, permanent windfalls. The bill makes the appalling estate tax giveaway permanent, which only applies to a few thousand ultra-wealthy heirs, and expands it to $15 million and $30 million for couples. It also locks in the costly, inefficient passthrough deduction, a loophole that overwhelmingly benefits millionaire business owners while doing little for small businesses. These wasteful provisions have been criticized by experts across the ideological spectrum for being too expensive, poorly targeted and ineffective at promoting economic growth. All together, the bill’s tax changes are projected to cost at least over $3 trillion and will ultimately deepen the already wide wealth and income inequality gap.

    The budget is the largest job-killing legislation ever passed. It threatens nearly 2 million construction jobs, including 800,000 green jobs. It could also erase $148 billion in annual wages and benefits to working people. The Republican Party loves to claim that it is the party of the working class, but its budget clearly debunks that lie.

    It will now make it harder for working-class young people to go to college. I represent one of the youngest constituencies in the country, including many who attend the University of Minnesota. The rising cost of college is already a top concern for our district. Not only does this bill cut $300 billion in federal higher-education programs, it raises the cost of student loan repayment and cuts protections for student borrowers. This bill is a direct attack on those seeking a higher education. Every single person deserves access to higher education without any barriers. Now that dream for young people to not be shackled by student loan debt is farther out of reach.

    What are all these cuts paying for? This bill gives $150 billion for immigration enforcement and another $150 billion to the Pentagon to fund a police state. It contains a slush fund for even more Immigration and Customs Enforcement abductions and mass detention. Shamefully, it includes $45 billion just for ICE jails, including family detention. This is more than 13 times ICE’s current annual detention budget. ICE facilities have little to no oversight and have already resulted in nine deaths in less than four months. Their leadership has begun banning members of Congress from conducting oversight in the facilities. And they’re building concentration camps in the Everglades. This budget gives ICE a higher budget than almost all of the world’s militaries. It runs counter to the very ideals of our country.

    In poll after poll, the American people are clear in their opposition to this bill. Donald Trump and Republicans know this, which is why they rammed this bill through in the middle of the night. Every single American will remember who chose to side with billionaires instead of working people.

    We will never forget that Republicans sold out the American people for their billionaire donors.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Bringing dialysis care closer to home in Blenheim

    Source: New Zealand Government

    A new dialysis unit will be established in Blenheim, providing life-changing support for local patients and their families closer to home, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. 

    “This is a fantastic example of local communities and health providers working together to deliver better, more accessible care,” Mr Brown says.

    “For too long, people in Marlborough needing dialysis have had to travel to Nelson Hospital three times a week – resulting in a total of four to five hours of travel each week. That’s time away from family, work, and home, and it adds stress to what is already a challenging health journey.

    “This new four-chair unit in Blenheim will significantly reduce the burden on patients and their families, while also freeing up space in Nelson Hospital for those requiring more specialist dialysis care. It’s a life-changing initiative that responds to local need and supports a collaborative approach to delivering healthcare.

    “The unit will support clinically stable patients, as well as those who are capable of self-dialysis but don’t have the right setup at home. These patients will be able to use the facility while continuing to manage their own treatment in a supported environment.

    “With an ageing population and higher rates of chronic kidney disease expected over the next decade, this unit will make a real difference for many people in the region.”

    This initiative is a true example of partnership in action, bringing together Health New Zealand, Marlborough Primary Health, closely supported by local iwi, the Iwi Māori Partnership Board, and Māori health provider Te Piki Oranga. It reflects a shared commitment to delivering services that are responsive and locally led. 

    The facility also highlights the remarkable generosity of the Marlborough community. A number of local charities and philanthropic trusts have stepped up to fund dialysis chairs, TVs, resuscitation kits, heat pumps, and other vital equipment. Contributors include the Care Foundation, Marlborough Hospital Equipment Trust, with other interest expressed by Rātā Foundation, Churchill Trust, Lotteries, and Marlborough District Council, which provided both a cash grant and a fee waiver for the resource consent.

    “This is a powerful example of local care, delivered by local people, for the benefit of the Marlborough community.

    “The new dialysis unit will ease the burden on patients and their families by reducing travel, relieving stress, and ensuring more people can get the care they need, closer to home,” Mr Brown says.

    The unit is expected to open in October 2025.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: After Securing Key New Hampshire and National Security Priorities, Shaheen Helps Advance Annual Defense Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    **A top member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Shaheen built on her years-long legacy of securing key New Hampshire priorities, as well as measures that address America’s top security challenges**
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a top member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, helped advance the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – annual defense legislation that authorizes Pentagon priorities and programs for the next fiscal year. The bill was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) in a bipartisan vote. 
    As a senior member of SASC, Senator Shaheen’s additions to the defense bill address both America’s top national security objectives, while also enhancing New Hampshire’s role in support of our national defense.
    “With Secretary Hegseth at the helm of the Pentagon, it’s more critical this year than ever that Congress uses the annual defense bill to assert its oversight authority and advance policy to improve the lives of service members. The legislation cleared by the Senate Armed Services Committee this week is not perfect but includes many of my provisions to put guardrails on Secretary Hegseth’s harmful policies, including to protect the shipyard workforce from hiring freezes, ensure President Trump’s trade war isn’t passing the price of defense contracts onto the taxpayer, to make sure promised military assistance continues to flow to Ukraine in their fight for democracy and freedom and protect U.S. basing in Europe, the Middle East and the Indo Pacific.” said Senator Shaheen. “I was also proud to secure provisions that support New Hampshire’s defense industry and good-paying jobs, improve service members’ access to affordable child care and housing, invest in Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s capacity and more.”
    The Committee-passed bill now moves to the full Senate before it is conferenced with the U.S. House of Representatives. Below is a summary of top New Hampshire and national security priorities secured by Shaheen in the FY 2026 NDAA.
    Protecting the Public Shipyard Workforce
    Senator Shaheen led a provision to ensure the chaos and confusion that ensued from Secretary Hegseth’s Department of Defense (DoD) civilian hiring freeze does not happen again. The legislation will protect thousands of jobs integral to America’s national security at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and public shipyards across the nation.
    The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a key economic driver in the region, supporting thousands of jobs integral to America’s national security. After calls from Shaheen and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), DoD claimed to have exempted the shipyard workforce from the civilian hiring freeze, but issues persist in implementation. Shaheen’s provision will make this exemption final and addresses hiring delays that Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has continued to face.
    Reassuring America’s Allies and Partners
    Standing with Ukraine:
    Senator Shaheen has consistently worked to ensure the delivery of military, humanitarian and economic assistance to Ukraine as they fight for their freedom and democracy amid Putin’s war of aggression.
    The Committee-passed NDAA includes a reauthorization of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, Department of Defense’s authority to equip the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Shaheen also secured language prohibiting the diversion of military equipment obligated for Ukraine after the Pentagon’s misguided decision, since overruled by President Trump.
    The Committee-passed bill also includes Shaheen-authored amendments that allow the continued sharing of U.S. information, intelligence and imagery to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the battlefield and prevent cuts to security cooperation funding for U.S. forces in Europe.
    Supporting NATO Allies and Enhancing Global Partnerships:
    Shaheen also secured provisions that send a strong message of commitment to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allies and other U.S. partners abroad. Her legislation requires the executive branch to consult with Congress and our NATO Allies before any attempt to abdicate the Commander of U.S. European Command’s dual role of Supreme Allied Commander Europe. This comes after Shaheen pressed senior U.S. military officials on the importance of this U.S. responsibility at NATO. An American general has also served as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Forces in Europe since General Dwight Eisenhower assumed the role following the establishment of the NATO alliance.
    The bill includes legislation led by Shaheen requiring the Pentagon to consult with Congress before making changes to U.S. military force posture in Europe and on the Korean Peninsula. U.S. presence in Europe and the Indo Pacific deters adversaries and strengthens our alliances. This legislation will require the Secretary of Defense to certify to Congress that he has consulted the Secretary of State, Director of National Intelligence, senior U.S. military officers in the theaters and officials from regional governments—including NATO Allies, South Korea, Japan and others—before reducing our force presence in Europe or South Korea.
    Shaheen also prevented the further consolidation of U.S. military bases in Syria—a move that helps to prevent a resurgence of ISIS influence in the region following the establishment of a new, post-Assad Syrian government.
    Protecting Defense Supply Chains from Reckless Tariffs
    The bill includes Senator Shaheen’s amendment that would require the Department of Defense to assess the impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs on the defense supply chain and protect current regulations that are providing relief to small businesses in the defense industrial base.
    Shaheen has been vocal in her concerns about the administration’s trade war and its impacts on America’s national defense and military readiness, including by calling on Secretary Hegseth to address how tariffs are impacting the Department’s purchasing power, weakening supply chains and raising costs on small businesses.  This provision in the NDAA comes after Shaheen’s third annual bipartisan Congressional delegation to the largest trade show in the world, the Paris Air Show, where she heard concerns about the President’s trade war from allies, partners and the defense and civil aerospace industry. Following the Air Show, Shaheen penned an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal..
    Supporting Jobs and the New Hampshire National Guard
    To bolster the civilian defense and national security workforce, Senator Shaheen secured an amendment in line with her Defense Workforce Integration Act. The bipartisan, bicameral Shaheen-led bill would leverage existing programs and best practices within the Department of Defense to address persistent workforce shortages by retaining the talent and motivation of those who desire to serve in uniform but are found to be medically disqualified.
    As co-chair of the bipartisan U.S. Senate National Guard Caucus, Shaheen has long advocated on behalf of National Guard members. To strengthen the National Guard’s ability to protect and aid New Hampshire in times of crisis, Shaheen secured a provision in this year’s NDAA to help the National Guard retain quality commissioned and warrant officers and maintain increased levels of personnel readiness. Specifically, the amendment allows officers and warrant officers to transfer from active status in the Reserves to the Inactive National Guard.
    Confronting the Challenges Posed by PFAS Contamination
    Senator Shaheen successfully added an amendment to respond more quickly to the spread of PFAS contamination at certain military installations and surrounding communities where PFAS are discovered in existing water sources as a result of military activities. The policy requires the Department of Defense to take action to address contamination hotspots and provide safe drinking water to communities while the lengthier remedial investigation process moves forward. Shaheen also secured adoption of an amendment to clarify that DoD can use innovative technologies for destroying PFAS to provide more tools to address contamination.
    Shaheen opposed amendments that were ultimately adopted to rescind the moratorium on PFAS incineration and prohibit the military from procuring a variety of items containing PFAS, including cookware used to prepare food in military galleys and furniture upholstery and carpeting for military installations. These provisions add unnecessary exposure to harmful toxins for service members and their families, increasing their chances of long-term health impacts.
    Shaheen has worked for more than a decade to hold the Department of Defense responsible for remediation of PFAS contamination at military bases and ensure transparency for affected communities. Shaheen spearheaded the first nationwide PFAS health impact study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) that is in its final stages. Shaheen leads efforts in Congress to uncover the potential health effects related to PFAS contamination. Because of her efforts, Pease served as a model site for the nationwide study. Shaheen has also led efforts to improve the Defense Department’s transparency and engagement with local communities, improve safety of firefighting gear, phase out use of PFAS-laden firefighting foam and expand blood-testing for military firefighters exposed to PFAS. Shaheen also secured record funding to upgrade drinking water and wastewater infrastructure to address PFAS contamination in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021.
    Defending and Strengthening Support for America’s Service Members and Their Families
    Addressing Sexual Assault in the Military:
    Senator Shaheen successfully fought for a provision to increase accountability and transparency for investigations into military sexual assault cases. The Committee-passed NDAA includes Shaheen’s amendment requiring the National Guard Bureau to provide an annual report on the number of Guardsmen who participate in Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) training each year.
    Shaheen has championed efforts in the Senate to respond to and address sexual assault in the military. In the FY23 NDAA, she helped secure reforms that expanded the types of sexual misconduct offenses and addressed the role of military commanders’ convening authority power. She played a pivotal role in the adoption of historic reforms to the Uniform Code of Military Justice to address sexual assault in the military, including taking those offenses out of a service member’s chain of command.
    Expanding Access to Child Care for Military Families:
    Shaheen helped secure inclusion of a provision to expand child care access for military families by directing the Department of Defense to support the recruitment and retention of providers in order to build a future child care workforce and make long-term investments in child care providers. The provision also authorizes the Department of Defense to enter into an interagency partnership with a federal agency, such as AmeriCorps, to place national service participants and volunteers trained in education services at military child care centers.
    The provision is based on bipartisan legislation Shaheen co-leads with Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), the Expanding Access to Child Care for Military Families Act, to support workforce development opportunities for child care providers and to add capacity to the child care sector.
    Addressing Service Members and Military Families’ Quality of Life:
    To help service members and their families navigate the nation’s housing affordability crisis, Shaheen secured an amendment in the NDAA to improve DoD’s financial counseling offerings. To ensure service members learn about fees and other costs associated with homebuying, the provision allows Service Secretaries to work with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development certified housing counselors and other qualified counselors to help service members and families.
    Bolstering Mental Health Resources and Responses:
    Shaheen helped secure a provision in line with her National Adverse Childhood Experiences Response Team (ACERT) Grant Program Authorization Act directing the DoD to study and report on establishing a program to address adverse childhood experiences associated with exposure to trauma by connecting law enforcement and first responders with local child specialists and professionals.
    The legislation also includes Shaheen’s amendment to address the shortage of quality, accessible mental and behavioral health care for service members. Her provision requires DoD to assess where there are shortages in providers and the impact of those staffing shortages on service members. 
    Investing in Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and New England’s Shipbuilding Workforce
    Senator Shaheen built on her long legacy of support for New England’s shipbuilding industry and workforce, including through authorizing funding and workforce development for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The Committee-approved FY26 NDAA includes full authorization for the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) investments at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which will expand the Shipyard’s capacity to maintain America’s fast-attack submarine fleet. As a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees, Senator Shaheen helped secure this funding beginning in the fiscal year 2019 funding legislation, which she has continued in ensuing years.
    Shaheen also helped to authorize funding for increased reliability, resiliency and capacity to the existing electric and water utility systems primarily responsible for the nuclear support facilities at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Additionally, the bill authorizes $26 million for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art Readiness Center to support the New Hampshire National Guard in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
    In addition, the bill reauthorizes funding for Virginia-class submarines, which are repaired at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Shaheen is a steadfast supporter of the Virginia-class program and is a fierce advocate for Shipyard priorities.
    Shaheen also secured a provision aimed at improving the quality of life and bolstering recruitment and retention of employees at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the country’s three other public shipyards. The Shaheen amendment requires DoD to assess the feasibility, costs and benefits of providing civilian employees with apartment-style or dormitory housing options.  Shaheen also secured report language to encourage DoD to explore the feasibility of low-interest loans for maritime industrial base (MIB) suppliers. 
    Finally, the bill includes Shaheen’s legislation to extend direct hire authority to the Navy Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair (SUPSHIP), which will give Navy the ability to fill these positions quickly, address workforce delays and reduce delays in submarine construction and maintenance.
    Supporting Americans Affected by Directed Energy Attacks
    Senator Shaheen built on her progress to ensure that all U.S. personnel and their loved ones suffering from anomalous health incidents (AHIs) – also known as “Havana Syndrome” or directed-energy attacks – get the medical attention they deserve. Shaheen successfully secured a provision that encourages the Department of Defense to supply the cross-functional team addressing AHIs with the resources that they need to provide those affected with necessary treatment and timely compensation under the Helping American Victims Affected by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act of 2021. The amendment also urges the Department to redouble its efforts to identify emerging directed energy threats, understand their origin and develop countermeasures to defend against them.
    Shaheen has been a leader in supporting American public servants who have incurred AHIs. In October 2021, President Biden signed legislation Shaheen helped lead, the Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA Act), into law. The law authorizes financial support to ensure medical care for those affected by AHIs. In the FY21 NDAA, Shaheen successfully included language to expand a provision in law that she previously wrote to provide long-term, emergency care benefits to all U.S. government employees and their dependents who were mysteriously injured while working in China and Cuba.
    Bolstering Congressional Oversight and Reining in Wasteful Spending
    In this year’s NDAA, Senator Shaheen secured several provisions to assert Congress’s oversight authority over the Trump administration and prohibit wasteful spending, including the use of Department of Defense resources for immigration enforcement activities. The bill requires DoD to notify Congress before using military airlift for immigration enforcement purposes and expands existing notifications to include requests for assistance in support of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at Guantanamo Bay. In the first five months of migrant operations at Guantanamo Bay, DoD has already spent over $40 million providing non-reimbursable support to DHS.
    Additionally, Shaheen included language in the NDAA urging DoD not to downgrade the U.S. Naval Hospital at Guantanamo Bay to a clinic. The hospital is the only source of health care for the over 6,000 active duty personnel, DoD civilians, family members, contract personnel and local and foreign national employees stationed at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay (NSGB).
    The provisions come after Shaheen joined a Congressional delegation to Guantanamo Bay in March of this year after the Pentagon refused to answer Congressional oversight questions on its support to DHS’s new migrant operations there.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump Megabill to Cut Over $6.6 Billion from WA Hospitals

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

    Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) released the following statement on new data showing that Washington hospitals will lose an estimated $662 million a year, or over $6.6 billion over the next decade, because of Trump and Republicans’ megabill that was signed into law last week.

    “The ripple effects of this law will be felt like a tsunami in Washington’s health care system. These cruel cuts will kick 330,000 Washingtonians off their health coverage. Regardless of what kind of health coverage someone has, they will feel the impact. Hospitals across Washington are estimated to lose over $6.6 billion because of the Apple Health cuts. It will force hospitals and providers to close facilities and scale back services, and insurers to raise insurance premiums across the board.

    “All of this so Republicans can give billionaires another massive tax break.”

    Some of the largest estimated annual cuts in Western Washington include:

    • Over $56 million cut to Harborview Medical Center (Seattle)
    • Over $45 million cut to the University of Washington Medical Center (Seattle)
    • Nearly $30 million cut to Swedish Medical Center (Seattle)
    • Nearly $29 million cut to Providence Regional Medical Center (Everett)
    • Over $12 million cut to Virginia Mason Medical Center (Seattle)
    • Over $11 million cut to Evergreen Health (Kirkland)
    • Over $7.8 million for Overlake Hospital (Bellevue)
    • Over $1.9 million cut to Evergreen Health (Monroe)

    What Washington Health Systems Are Saying:

    “The federal cuts to Medicaid payments are a disaster for hospitals across the country. In Washington State alone, hospital payments for services delivered will be cut by more than $6 billion over the next ten years. In addition, hundreds of thousands of people will lose coverage. There is no way hospitals can absorb this level of cuts in the Medicaid program without impacting everyone’s access to services. Important hospital services will disappear, nurses and doctors will be laid off, and some hospitals are at risk of full closure,” said Jacqueline Barton True, Vice President, Advocacy and Rural Health, Washington State Hospital Association.

    “Medicaid funding is critical to keep hospitals open and operating for all patients. This is especially true for public safety net health systems like UW Medicine. The federal budget reconciliation bill will significantly reduce both patient eligibility for coverage and Medicaid funding going directly to hospitals for daily operations,” said Dr. Tim Dellit, CEO of UW Medicine and Dean University of Washington School of Medicine. “It is not simply Medicaid patients who will be impacted; these cuts will disrupt the financial foundation that supports the entire health care system, reducing resources and access to care for everyone. As Washington state’s largest public hospital system and safety net provider of health care, the loss of Medicaid reimbursements will have a profound impact on UW Medicine’s ability to serve the community and meet our mission of improving the health of the public by treating every patient who needs our care.”

    “From a patient’s perspective, the biggest concerns about the law are the numerous provisions, including significant Medicaid cuts, that will make it harder for patients to get health insurance coverage and keep that coverage. When people lose their coverage, their medical needs don’t go away. Lack of health insurance coverage can end up exacerbating those needs, as patients without insurance genuinely don’t receive the preventive care that they desperately need that keep patients and populations healthy. Patients may even ration food or skip medication altogether. All this adds up to patients who, when they do seek care, will require higher level care—which is also more expensive,” said Jon Duarte, President & CEO, MultiCare Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, CEO, North Sound Region. “In addition, they often enter the health care system through an emergency department, putting increased stress, not only on them, but on other patients in emergency department care as well. In accordance with our mission at MultiCare, we provide care for all who need it, any day, any hour of the day as well, regardless of their ability to pay. When patients lose access to health insurance, hospitals like Overlake will have no choice but to care for those patients and absorb the increased costs associated with providing uncompensated care, creating a financially unintentional and unsustainable situation for health systems. Ultimately, we may have to cut services, causing entire communities to lose important access to care.”

    MIL OSI USA News –