Delayed and Repealed Medical Device Tax

Since coming to Congress, Scott has been a vocal opponent of the Medical Device Tax which stifles both innovation and job growth in San Diego and around the country. In each session, he helped introduce the Protect Medical Innovation Act which would repeal the tax established by the Affordable Care Act. At the end of 2015, a two-year delay of the tax was included in legislation to fund the government.

In 2019, Scott supported the introduction of the Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2019, bipartisan legislation that fully repeals the 2.3% excise tax levied on medical device firms as part of the Affordable Care Act. In December 2019, President Trump signed the 2020 federal spending package.

San Diego’s innovation ecosystem results in new, innovative devices and treatments that make it easier to care for individuals with historically difficult diseases and illnesses. The Medical Device Tax has slowed growth in our Medical Device Industry leading to fewer jobs and less investment in our community.

NIH Funding

Since coming to Congress, Scott has been a vocal advocate for increased funding for NIH. In 2013, he led a group of his colleagues on a tour of NIH so they could learn about the important work being done there. He has sent numerous letters to Congressional Appropriators and supported the 21st Century Cures Act which, for the first time, provided $1.75 billion in mandatory spending on NIH supported innovation. This is in addition to more than $8 billion in annual authorizations for NIH’s research activities. In 2015, Scott successfully fought to increase NIH funding to a total of $37 billion—a record high even when adjusting for inflation. The amount includes $500 million in additional funds to address opioid addiction and $414 million extra for Alzheimer's disease research. In 2019, he helped secure a total of $29.1 billion for NIH, a $2 billion increase from the previous year. San Diego’s unique Innovation Ecosystem depends on federal investment in basic scientific research through NIH and other federal agencies.

Stabilizing the Individual Marketplace

In 2017, Scott introduced the Bipartisan Market Stabilization and Innovation Act, which would stabilize the individual marketplace and bring down health care costs for millions.

As a member of the Problem Solvers’ Caucus, Scott has been leading the effort to get bipartisan agreement on healthcare reform. Repealing the ACA would have a serious impact on the most vulnerable among those who rely on Medicaid for quality healthcare.

Reauthorized Funding for Community Health Centers

In FY2020 appropriations, Scott supported the highest level of funding to improve access to comprehensive and evidence-based mental health and addiction care, securing our requested funding level of $150,000,000 for the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Expansion Grants. He also helped secure $722,571,000 for the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, which awards funds to states to supplement existing and/or new mental health services.  

In 2018, Scott led a letter to House Leadership calling on Congress to reauthorize the Community Health Center Fund for two years. The Community Health Center Fund represents 70 percent of federal grant funding for health centers that provide care for poor and underserved communities in every state. Community health centers play a critical role in San Diego by providing quality medical and mental health care to millions of San Diegans every year.

Prevented Cuts to Hospitals Providing Low-Income Patient Care

Since 2017, Scott has successfully fought to delay cuts to Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments. Medicaid DSH payments allow hospitals to treat low-income and uninsured patients, especially in rural areas where hospitals face added financial burdens. It is crucial that hospitals everywhere have the resources to continue caring for the most vulnerable Americans.

Supported Training of Future Pediatric Doctors and Specialists

Throughout 2017 and 2018, Scott led efforts to reauthorize essential health programs. He helped secure $315 million for Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME), a $15 million (5 percent) increase over FY 2017 to support the training of future pediatricians and pediatric specialists. In 2019, he supported funding requests for $400 million in FY2020. Rady’s Children’s Hospital is the largest children’s hospital in California. The San Diego Health Care System is providing world-class care for children all around the world.

Supported Primary Care, Medical and Dental Residency Programs

In 2017, Scott urged the Energy and Commerce Committee to support renewing federal funding for Teaching Health Centers (THCs). His efforts helped secure funding for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME), which will provide existing grantees with per resident amount of $150,000.

Safeguarding Vital Drug Discount Program

In 2017, Scott and Rep. Larry Buschon introduced the PAUSE Act, which would put a temporary pause on certain new hospitals entering the 340B program while Congress verifies that these hospitals are passing along savings from the program to the low-income patients the program serves.

In October 2019, Scott led 41 members of the California Congressional Delegation urging Governor Newsom to protect community health centers from any cuts to the 340b drug discount program. The letter was a response to Newsom's Executive Order directing the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to “take all necessary steps to transition all pharmacy services for Medi-Cal managed care to a fee-for-service benefit by January 2021." If implemented, the statutory change could jeopardize prescription drug revenues for many California community health centers.

Drug revenues from the 340B program allow Community Health Centers to provide life-saving treatments to low-income patients in every community in the country.

Lowering the Cost of Health Care

In 2020, Scott and Rep. Angie Craig introduced a bill that will make health insurance premiums more affordable, providing $10 billion annually to states to establish a state reinsurance program or use the funds to provide financial assistance to reduce out-of-pocket costs for individuals enrolled in qualified health plans. The bill also requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish and implement a reinsurance program in states that do not apply for federal funding under the bill. On May 4, 2019, the Energy and Commerce Committee passed the bill as a part of a larger package called the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions & Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019. Between 1.2 and 1.4 million people receive federal subsidies to buy health on the health insurance marketplace. Reinsurance programs are important because they drive down the cost of these plans.

In 2019, Scott and Rep. Angie Craig introduced a bill to make health care more affordable by encouraging states to create their own state-based marketplaces, which would cover the costliest medical claims and lower premiums for people across the country. The program is estimated to reduce premiums by as much as 10 percent. This bill became the shell legislation for a comprehensive health care package, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, which passed the House in June 2020. 

Protecting Access to Life-Saving Diagnostic Services

In 2019, Scott introduced the bipartisan Laboratory Access for Beneficiaries (LAB) Act with five of his colleagues. The bill directs the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to conduct a joint study that would make recommendations to improve how CMS collects data on lab reimbursements for life-saving lab services. Additionally, the LAB Act would give both CMS and labs additional time to collect complete and accurate data. Without a broad and representative collection of data, CMS's current reimbursement methodology could underpay for lab services, causing small labs in rural locations to close. Language from the LAB Act was included in a federal funding bill in December 2019. Seniors in San Diego have different health care needs, and increasing access to life-saving diagnostic services is one of the most effective ways to provide individualized care.

Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs

In 2019, Scott introduced a bill with Rep. Pete King and Rep. Anthony Brindisi that will give Medicare beneficiaries increased access to innovative drugs. The Acting to Cancel Copays and Ensure Substantial Savings for Biosimilars (ACCESS) Act would eliminate a patient’s copay for a biosimilar if they normally would pay full cost for a biologic drug under Medicare Part B. The cost of prescription drugs is soaring, and increasing access to lower-cost biosimilar drugs and give San Diegans more treatment options.

Protecting Access to Life-Saving Drugs

In 2020, Scott introduced the bipartisan Preventing Drug Shortages Act, which would help address the critical issue of drug shortages that affect the quality of care patients receive across the country. The introduction of the bill came days after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the first U.S. drug shortage related to factory shutdowns and shipping problems in China due to the recent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. On March 27, 2020, the bill became law as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.