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H.R. 4945: Safeguarding Medicare Access to Respiratory Therapy Act of 2019

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H.R. 4945: Safeguarding Medicare Access to Respiratory Therapy Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-10-31 · Health · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2019-10-31 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Safeguarding Medicare Access to Respiratory Therapy Act of 2019

Plain summary

Safeguarding Medicare Access to Respiratory Therapy Act of 2019 This bill establishes certain requirements relating to Medicare coverage of ventilators. Specifically, the bill (1) excludes ventilators and other covered respiratory items, as specified, from Medicare's competitive acquisition program (in which rates are set through a competitive bidding program rather than by an established fee schedule); and (2) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to establish a technical expert panel to review, and make recommendations regarding, national coverage determinations with respect to Medicare coverage of ventilators and other specified respiratory devices.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Safeguarding Medicare Access to Respiratory Therapy Act of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9] · 59 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Peter Welch (D-VT), Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), John B. Larson (D-CT), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Glenn Thompson (R-PA), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY), Tom Cole (R-OK), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY), Austin Scott (R-GA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Joseph D. Morelle (D-NY), Jason Crow (D-CO), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), John H. Rutherford (R-FL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Roger Marshall (R-KS)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9] reported raising $2.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong116-hr4945 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116