On March 3, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved, by voice vote, the Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act (H.R. 3658). The Subcommittee on Health approved the measure on January 28 (see The Source, 1/30/04).
Sponsored by Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), the measure would create an education and information campaign to promote stroke prevention and increase the number of patients who seek immediate treatment. The bill also would authorize $4 million through FY2009 for education grants to health professionals for new diagnostic technologies and therapies for stroke patients.
H.R. 3658 would authorize $50 million for a pilot program to provide grants for states to create and improve coordinated long distance health care and education through telehealth networks for the treatment of stroke victims. The measure also would authorize $5 million for the compilation and distribution of information through the Paul Coverdell National Stroke Registry and Clearinghouse on efforts by medical institutions to develop and implement emergency and hospital care systems for stroke victims.
In a press release announcing passage of the bill, Rep. Capps stated, “Stroke is our nation’s third leading killer, taking the lives of nearly 160,000 Americans and causing long-term disability to many more each year. But what makes this so heart breaking is the fact that much of this suffering can be prevented with…greater awareness and access to the latest treatments. This legislation can truly save lives.”
