Latest Releases
Senators Smith, Daines Renew Push to Permanently Expand Telehealth Services
Washington – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Steve Daines (R-MT) reintroduced their bipartisan Expanded Telehealth Access Act to make pandemic-driven expanded access to certain telehealth services under Medicare permanent. “The pandemic showed us that telehealth services are a lifeline for patients across Minnesota who may otherwise not be able to access the health care they need,” said Smith. “This legislation will ensure that patients who access physical and occupational therapists, audiologists, and speech language pathologists via telehealth can continue to get those services reimbursed permanently.” “In rural states like Montana, folks often have to drive long distances just to receive care,” said Daines. “Expanded telehealth services help relieve this burden and give folks increased access to quality, affordable care. Now is not the time to cut back on these critical services, and I’ll keep working to ensure Montanans are able to see the providers they need.” To help reduce risks associated with visiting medical providers during the pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded the types of health care providers who receive reimbursement for telehealth services. The Expanded Telehealth Access Act makes permanent the reimbursement eligibility for physical therapists, audiologists, occupational therapists, and speech language pathologists and permits the Secretary of Health and Human services to expand this list.
Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar, and Representative Angie Craig Press Postal Service for Answers on Mail Carriers’ Missing Paychecks
WASHINGTON, D.C. [09/25/23] — Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar, and U.S. Representative Angie Craig (all D-Minn.) sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy seeking answers about an apparent payroll system error that led to an estimated 53,000 rural letter carriers missing or receiving only a partial paycheck on September 1. After hearing from Minnesotans affected by the error, the lawmakers pressed DeJoy on the Postal Service’s insufficient response to their significant error, and demanded immediate back pay for the impacted workers. “Rural letter carriers – including carrier assistants – are essential workers whose services are critical to small towns and rural places in Minnesota and around the country,” wrote the lawmakers in their letter. “As you know, these carriers deliver medications to veterans, bills to seniors, and support businesses large and small, all for relatively modest pay. Like a lot of American families, many rural letter carriers can’t afford a missed paycheck. We understand that USPS offered affected employees the option to receive a salary advance in the form of a money order at 65 percent of gross pay. However, that is an insufficient proposal that fails to address the scope of these employees’ needs, and does not demonstrate a commitment to getting these workers the pay they earned.” In their letter, Smith, Klobuchar, and Craig called for DeJoy to answer the following questions by September 30, 2023: You can access a full copy of the letter here.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Pushes for Service Members to Receive Owed Student Loan Benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/16/2019]—United States Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is pushing to get servicemembers the student loan payments they have been incorrectly denied under existing law. In a letter to Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, Sen. Smith expressed her support for a proposed “matching agreement” with the Department of Education which would enable servicemembers to automatically get the refunds they are owed. The letter was led by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). “The new matching agreement should allow all eligible servicemembers and veterans-including those who were formerly eligible-to automatically receive refunds for any interest amounts that they
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Helps Push Bill to Ensure Pregnant Mothers Can Get Affordable Health Care Both During and After Pregnancy
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/15/19]– U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) today joined an effort to ensure that all expectant mothers get the health care services they need both during and after pregnancy by cosponsoring the Healthy Maternal and Obstetric Medicine (Healthy MOM) Act. Sen. Smith said the measure would ensure that all women eligible for coverage through the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces, as well as women eligible for other individual or group health plan coverage, can access affordable health coverage throughout their pregnancies. Currently, marriage, divorce, having a baby, adoption and changing jobs are considered a qualifying life event that
U.S. Senator Tina Smith in Senate Speech: “Why I’m Sharing My Experience with Depression”
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/15/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) took to the Senate floor to share her own mental health story as part of her push to make access to mental health care for Minnesotans and Americans a top priority. In her speech, Sen. Smith—a member of the Senate Health Committee—shared her own experiences with depression earlier in life, and highlighted the need to provide mental health support to people at every age across the nation in both rural and urban areas, no matter what zip code they live in. “That’s my story. Really, it’s the story of millions of
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Calls for Action to Protect Homebuyers from Predatory Lending
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/13/19]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is calling on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)—to improve protections for Minnesotans and Americans purchasing manufactured homes, after hearing from multiple consumer advocates that unwitting home buyers are often steered toward higher-cost loans. Sen. Smith—a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs—and eight of her Senate colleagues highlighted the lack of transparency manufactured homebuyers face when it comes to lending practices in a letter to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger. The letter was led by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.). “Typically, the majority of consumers who have not
English