Health: Is there anything more important? In this episode, we examine three bills that moved through Congress in 2016 which would have a direct effect on the health of American citizens. Would the changes benefit you? . He will be forever loved and missed. Please support Congressional Dish: to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bills Highlighted in this Episode Bill Highlights the for the last year of a to be paid by health insurance companies to fund care for “high risk individuals” limits on for low income families the for getting health care as individuals the to help low income people pay for their individual premiums the for companies with less than 25 employees and provide health insurance for their employees the tax penalty for people who don’t get their own health insurance the who don’t provide their employees health insurance and backdates it to protect large companies who didn’t provide health insurance in 2015 to States that give money to any organization that provides abortions (Planned Parenthood) , which is health care for poor people the 2.3% Medical Device Tax on the manufactures of large medical equipment, even though it was from the Treasury to the Federal Hospital Insurance Fund, which is and is used to fund Medicare. Congressional Budget Office Report December 11, 2015 Vote Senate: House Author of Georgia’s 6th district : Has more than doubled it’s lobbyist spending since 2008 - ; the ones that have to pay a 2.3% medical device tax directly to members of Congress : Represents drug companies and : : : Bill Highlights from certifying any class action lawsuit unless every person in the lawsuit has suffered “the same type and scope of injury” as the named class representative has to publicly report the name and exposure history of each person and the basis of the payments to that person The information would not include their “confidential” medical record or their social security number The trust would from the trust if the request is about liability of asbestos exposure These disclosure requirements would be valid for . Vote Passed the House of Representatives: President Obama issued a Author of Virginia’s 6th District Biggest contributor during his career has been the : : : : : : : Bill Highlights Amends disclosure requirements for Instead of requiring the restaurants to display "the number of calories in the standard menu item, as usually prepared and offered for sale", the to display: The number of calories in the whole item The number of servings and the calories per serving or The number of calories per however the restaurant chooses to divide it Restaurants where , the restaurant may choose to only provide nutrition information by "a remote-access menu" (such as a menu available on the Internet) as the sole method of disclosure instead of on-premises writings" Allows buffet and self-serve restaurants to publish , if they choose to. Nutrition information Regulations for enforcing this bill will have to be created within a year. The bill then at restaurants, including regulations that have already taken affect, from taking effect until 2 years after the new regulations are done, killing all nutritional information requirement for three years. Restaurants for accuracy. Restaurants for violating nutritional information laws. Vote Passed the House of Representatives Author of Washington's 5th district Sound Clip Sources Hearing: , Rules Committee January 5th, 2016 Hearing: , April 29, 2015 Commercial (YouTube): Additional Reading Article: by Jim Morris, Center for Public Integrity, February 16, 2016. Article: by Mark Hofmann, Business Insurance, January 17, 2016. Article: by David Gianatasio, October 22, 2015. Article: by Michelangelo Conte, The Jersey Journal, June 9, 2015. Article: by Igor Kossov, Law360, June 2, 2014. Article: by Joe Nocera, New York Times, January 12, 2014. United States Government Accountability Office Report: , September, 2011. Article: , by Jason L. Kennedy, March 20, 2011. Article: by Alex Berenson, New York Times, April 18, 2002. Article: , Robert Pear, NYT, Dec 6, 1999. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: by (found on by mevio) Cover Art Design by