Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Seeks Answers From Insurance Companies on Mental Health Care “Ghost Networks”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) led a bipartisan letter to Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, and United Healthcare regarding “ghost networks” that make it difficult for patients to find in-network providers. According to a March 2022 US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, problems include inaccurate or out-of-date information on provider networks. Ghost networks occur when providers are listed as in-network on an insurer’s website but are no longer in-network, accepting new patients, or even in business. The problem of ghost networks is especially prevalent in mental health care and worsened during the pandemic mental health crisis as providers left their positions or stopped taking new patients due to overload. “Ghost networks sow confusion and frustration among patients who are often in need of immediate care. Patients who lack the time and resources to sift through inaccurate provider directors may ultimately choose to forgo or delay needed health care. Others may be forced to pay out-of-pocket for a provider,” the Senators wrote. “When patients search for an in-network provider on a company’s website or directory, it is essential that they are given accurate and up-to-date information,” the Senators continued. Supporting groups include The Kennedy Forum, Mental Health America, American Psychological Association, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Treatment Advocacy Center, and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In November, Senator Smith introduced legislation with Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to strengthen mental health care coverage, crack down on ghost networks and create stronger
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Re-Introduce Bill to Expand Affordable Housing Access for Low-Income Families
WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development, joined a group of five Senate colleagues in re-introducing legislation to improve the federal government’s largest rental assistance program. The bipartisan Choice in Affordable Housing Act would make it easier to access Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV), also known as Section 8 vouchers, and attract and retain landlords to the program. As a result, low-income families will have increased housing choices and improved access to high-opportunity neighborhoods. The bill is led by Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and is cosponsored in the Senate by Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). The bill has been introduced in the House by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) “Without access to a safe, affordable place to live, it’s nearly impossible to find a job, manage your health, or engage with your community,” said Senator Smith. “But right now, virtually every Minnesota community has a shortage of quality, affordable housing. That’s deeply troubling. This bipartisan legislation would help increase affordable housing options in communities across the country. I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this bill passed.” “From my years serving Delaware as County Executive and Council President, I’ve seen firsthand the positive, life-changing impact that access to a decent, safe, affordable home can have for those trying to provide for their family,” said Senator Coons. “That’s why Senator Cramer and
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and Bipartisan Group of Senate Colleagues: “Provide Back Pay to Compensate Contractor Employees for Their Lost Wages”
WASHINGTON D.C. [03/08/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith continued her fight to secure back pay for federal contract workers who went many weeks without a paycheck during the recent 35-day federal government shutdown by pushing the leaders the Senate Appropriations Committee to include funding for back pay in an upcoming disaster relief package. Unlike federal government employees, who received back pay after they returned to work when the shutdown ended in February, federal contract employees—many of whom serve in modestly-paid jobs—did not receive back pay to make up for the wages they missed. During the shutdown, Sen. Smith led the Senate effort to secure
Approximately 1,000 Minnesotans will be affected by the shuttering of Argosy University’s Eagan Campus
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (MN-02), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Collin Peterson (MN-07), and Betty McCollum (MN-04) sent the Department of Education a letter urging Secretary Betsy DeVos to proactively inform Argosy University students about available resources following reports that their 22 campuses are expected to close after the Department’s decision to cut off federal student aid. There are over 1,000 Minnesota students enrolled at Argosy University’s Eagan campus, which is closing its doors today, but the Department has provided students with limited, direct communication about the resources available and their options to
U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Works to Ensure Argosy University Students in Minnesota, Nationwide Receive the Assistance They Deserve
Senate Colleagues Demand Education Department Help Students Explore Options for Continuing Studies at High-Quality Institutions, Properly Distribute Student Loans WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/11/2019]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—along with Sens.Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), and 10 of their Senate colleagues—called on the Department of Education to take immediate action to assist students in the aftermath of the agency’s February 27 decision to terminate Argosy University’s eligibility for federal Title IV financial aid and reports of Argosy’s imminent closure. The February 27 decision came after revelations that Argosy University had failed to distribute millions of dollars in federal
U.S. Sens. Tina Smith, Jerry Moran Reintroduce Bill to Make Life-saving Oral Cancer Medications More Affordable
Senators’ Reintroduce Legislation to Ensure Oral Cancer Drugs are Covered in Same Way as Traditional IV Chemotherapy WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/12/19]—Today, U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) took steps to bring down health care costs for cancer patients by reintroducing their bipartisan bill to make sure oral cancer drugs are covered in the same way as traditional intravenous (IV) chemotherapy. Currently, over 40 states—including both Minnesota and Kansas—and the District of Columbia have passed “oral parity” laws that stop insurers from charging more for prescribed oral cancer medicine than traditional (IV) chemotherapy. Sens. Smith and Moran’s Cancer Drug Parity Act would build
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