“To advance research, promote awareness and education, and improve health care, with respect to thyroid disease, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in consultation with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, to conduct or support research and related activities on thyroid disease—including root causes, improved diagnostics and treatments, thyroid cancer care and survivorship (particularly for women of reproductive age and beyond), symptom management, demographic disparities in prevalence and outcomes, and effects of subclinical hypothyroidism despite normalized test results—and to propose recommendations addressing related research gaps. The section requires HHS to submit an interim report on these activities to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee not later than 24 months after enactment and to make the report publicly available. The section authorizes $30 million for each of FY2026 through FY2030 to carry out these activities.
This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to identify and analyze research gaps in diagnosing and treating thyroid disease; analyze disproportionate impacts of the disease on specific populations disaggregated by race, ethnicity, geography, primary language, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and insurance status (with a focus on women), including reasons for such impacts, health professional awareness, and improved diagnosis, treatment, and payment options; and assess relevant data sources (e.g., Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System, SEER program, Medicare, private insurance, national surveys). The Secretary may request data from group health plans, health insurance issuers, and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program on barriers to treatment access (e.g., lack of coverage, cost-sharing) and direct State Medicaid and CHIP programs to report stratified data, while ensuring patient privacy protections. The Secretary must submit a preliminary report to Congress and publicly online within two years of enactment and a final report by the end of FY2030, with $30 million authorized annually for FY2026 through FY2030.
This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a public awareness campaign on thyroid disease (i.e., disorders of the thyroid gland affecting hormone production, which disproportionately impact women), including development and dissemination of information on its incidence and prevalence (with emphasis on disparities, especially for women), treatment options, symptom recognition, and benefits of routine screening (particularly during pregnancy and reproductive stages). In consultation with relevant professional societies, the Secretary must also disseminate related information to health care providers, organizations, and systems to promote evidence-based care, including on diagnosis in at-risk populations, patient communication, prevention of implicit bias, and research into causes. The section authorizes $3 million annually for FY2026 through FY2030 and permits dissemination directly or via partnerships with nonprofit organizations, consumer groups, educational institutions, and public-private entities.
This section directs the Secretary to collaborate with (1) relevant professional societies and (2) relevant agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services, including the National Institutes of Health, in carrying out this Act.
This section establishes definitions for terms used in the Act, including (1) "institution of higher education," which has the meaning given in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (i.e., public or nonprofit postsecondary institutions that admit only students with a high school diploma or equivalent, are legally authorized in their state, provide degree or degree-credit programs, and are accredited or preaccredited); (2) "racial and ethnic minority group," which has the meaning given in section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act; (3) "Secretary," meaning the Secretary of Health and Human Services; and (4) "thyroid disease," meaning disorders and abnormalities of thyroid gland function and abnormalities of thyroid structure, including thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer.