Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Cassidy, Cardin, Thune Reintroduce Bill to Remove Barriers to Telemental Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), John Thune (R-SD) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) to reintroduce the bipartisan Telemental Health Care Access Act to remove barriers to telemental health services for Medicare beneficiaries. Specifically, the bill removes the requirement that Medicare beneficiaries be seen in person within six months of being treated for mental health services through telehealth. In 2020, Congress permanently expanded access for Medicare patients to be treated virtually for mental health services. Unfortunately, it also included an arbitrary requirement that would require the patient to be seen in-person before they could receive telemental services. The Telemental Health Care Access Act eliminates this in-person requirement so that patients can directly access mental health services via telehealth. “Telehealth has proved to be an important lifeline and tool to close some of the most significant gaps in patients’ access to health care services,” said Senator Smith. “Especially for Minnesotans in small towns and rural places suffering from mental health challenges, long commutes to the nearest provider can mean virtual care is the only feasible option. This bill is an important step in making it easier for mental health patients on Medicare to ask for help and get the care they need, without having to jump through administrative hoops.” “Since the pandemic, we have seen how telehealth expanded health care access for those with substance use disorders, physical ailments, and mental health conditions. It has been an important lifeline for rural communities,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This bill removes barriers to allow Medicare patients to
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on USPS Inspector General’s Troubling Report on St. Paul and South Metro Mail Service
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement in response to the USPS Inspector General’s report that found glaring issues at the St. Paul Processing and Distribution Center and post offices in Eagan, New Brighton and Apple Valley: “The Postal Service Inspector General’s audit reports on St. Paul and south Metro mail service are alarming and confirm what we’ve been hearing from constituents. Delayed mail and failures to report it, package delivery issues, and systemic understaffing are just the beginning. Minnesotans have been raising the alarm that mail service isn’t as reliable as it needs to be, but the Postal Service continues to act like everything is working as it should. This report confirms the reports of hundreds of Minnesotans that there are deep and systemic issues in the state. In December, I asked the Inspector General to expand the scope of their investigations in Minnesota so we can get to the bottom of these issues, and I am grateful that they will do so in the coming months,” said Senator Smith. Senator Smith has frequently raised the alarm on persistent mail delays and reports of hazardous work conditions for mail carriers, pressing Postmaster Louis DeJoy for answers on how USPS plans to remedy these issues. Most recently, Senator Smith called on the Inspector General to conduct a full audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota District, which the Inspector General’s office announced they will soon begin. The full results of the Inspector General’s audit can be
U.S. Senators Smith, Cardin, Van Hollen, Brown, Kaine, & Warner Successfully Fight to Make Protections for Federal Health Benefits During Government Shutdowns Law of the Land
WASHINGTON D.C. [01/14/20]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.) fought to secure protections for federal healthcare benefits in the event of a government shutdown, and these measures were signed into law in December as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Similar bipartisan legislation was introduced in the House by the late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who fought to include these measures in NDAA before his passing. The legislation ensures that workers who have qualifying life events are able to make the proper adjustments to their health insurance plans and continue dental and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Slam FDA E-Cigarette Policy Riddled with Loopholes for Kid-Appealing Flavors
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/13/20]–Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a member of the Senate Health Committee—and 29 of her Senate colleagues sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner criticizing the FDA’s decision to break the Administration’s promise to clear all non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette products from the market. On January 2, the FDA announced a weak policy that includes huge exceptions regarding menthol-flavored products and any flavored e-liquids that are not in a cartridge. This comes at a time when the youth vaping epidemic has reached an all-time high. “We are deeply disappointed with the Trump Administration’s stark reversal from its September 11, 2019 commitment to
U.S. Senators Smith & Collins Call for Quick Implementation of Bipartisan Tick Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/13/20]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) called on the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to urge quick implementation of the Kay Hagan Tick Act that Sens. Smith and Collins authored. Their bipartisan bill—signed into law in December—will improve research, prevention, diagnostics and treatment for tick-borne diseases. “The new law is named after the late Senator Kay Hagan, who tragically died from Powassan virus, a tick-borne disease this past October. The law provides a unified approach with leadership at the federal level and resources at the local level to combat the escalating burden of tick
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads Senate Colleagues in Calling on Trump Administration to Extend Humanitarian Protections for Somali Nationals
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/10/20]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led a number of her Democratic Senate colleagues—including fellow Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar—in calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to extend humanitarian protections granted to hundreds of Somali nationals who have taken refuge in our nation, including many in Minnesota, before the deadline to decide whether to extend protections on January 17 of this year. Somalia was first designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) nearly 30 years ago because of ongoing civil war, human rights abuses and violence in the country. These conditions continue to persist, which is why Sen. Smith is again leading her colleagues in pressing to extend TPS protections
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