Congressional Research Service Reports - 204 Matching Results
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- Beneficiary Information and Decision Supports for the Medicare-Endorsed Prescription Drug Discount Card
- On December 8, 2003 the President signed into law the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA, P.L. 108-173). This legislation establishes a Medicare prescription drug benefit, effective January 1, 2006. In the interim, the legislation requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a temporary program of Medicare-endorsed prescription drug discount cards. This report discusses the objectives and benefits of this legislation.
- Advertising Industry in the Digital Age
- This report discusses regulatory challenges faced by policymakers as the advertising industry enters a period of far-reaching change brought about by the economic downturn and structural shifts as consumers move to the Internet and other digital platforms for news, entertainment, and socializing.
- Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008: P.L. 110-314
- This report provides an overview of the prior authority of the CPSC to establish consumer product safety standards and to inspect and recall unsafe consumer products, and discussing P.L. 110-314, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, reforming the CPSC and strengthening enforcement of consumer product safety standards.
- The Cost of Prescription Drugs for the Uninsured Elderly and Legislative Approaches
- The purpose of this report is to explain why many of those who are least able to afford high drug costs are those who are most frequently charged the most. This report describes the basic economic theory underlying price differentiation and, in the context of the pharmaceutical market, analyzes the role and behavior of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), pharmaceutical manufacturers, and retail pharmacies, respectively. It also looks at a number of the criticisms that have been made of the practice of differential pricing. Finally, this report discusses various policy approaches aimed at assisting the elderly to purchase prescription drugs.
- Three Utility Financing Issues
- No Description Available.
- Three Utility Financing Issues
- No Description Available.
- Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview
- This report provides an overview of concerns about the health, safety, and quality of imported Chinese products, and implications for U.S.-China trade relations.
- Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview
- China is a major source of U.S. imports of consumer products (such as toys) and an increasingly important supplier of various food products. Reports of unsafe seafood, pet food, toys, tires, and other products imported from China over the past year or so have raised concern in the United States over the health, safety, and quality of imported Chinese products. This report provides an overview of this issue and implications for U.S.-China trade relations.
- Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview
- China is a major source of U.S. imports of consumer products (such as toys) and an increasingly important supplier of various food products. Reports of unsafe seafood, pet food, toys, tires, and other products imported from China over the past year or so have raised concern in the United States over the health, safety, and quality of imported Chinese products. This report provides an overview of this issue and implications for U.S.-China trade relations.
- Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview
- China is a major source of U.S. imports of consumer products (such as toys) and an increasingly important supplier of various food products. Reports of unsafe seafood, pet food, toys, tires, and other products imported from China over the past year or so have raised concern in the United States over the health, safety, and quality of imported Chinese products. This report provides an overview of this issue and implications for U.S.-China trade relations.
- Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview
- China is a major source of U.S. imports of consumer products (such as toys) and an increasingly important supplier of various food products. Reports of unsafe seafood, pet food, toys, tires, and other products imported from China over the past year or so have raised concern in the United States over the health, safety, and quality of imported Chinese products. This report provides an overview of this issue and implications for U.S.-China trade relations.
- Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview
- China is a major source of U.S. imports of consumer products (such as toys) and an increasingly important supplier of various food products. Reports of unsafe seafood, pet food, toys, tires, and other products imported from China over the past year or so have raised concern in the United States over the health, safety, and quality of imported Chinese products. This report provides an overview of this issue and implications for U.S.-China trade relations.
- U.S. Living Standards Compared to Those of Six Other Industrialized Nations
- Sluggish U.S. economic growth over the past few years has raised concern in the United States over the state of U.S. "living standards." The focus of this concern is often centered on the position of U.S. "living standards" compared with those of other industrialized nations. However, there is no clear and precise definition of the standard of living concept, especially one that allows for international comparisons. This report analyzes the standard of living concept within an economic framework, where a nation's standard of living is measured according to its gross domestic product (GDP) on a per capita basis. For the purposes of international comparisons, per capita, GDP data are converted to a common currency using purchasing power parities. Based on this measurement, data indicate that the The United States currently maintains the highest standard of living among the world's top seven industrialized powers, also known as the G-7 countries, although it appears that other industrialized countries, including Japan, are quickly closing the gap.
- Advertising of Alcoholic Beverages: Should a Radio and TV Ban be Imposed?
- This issue brief discusses the ongoing debate centered around television and radio advertising of alcoholic beverages, especially as it relates to the possible negative influence on the drinking habits of minors.
- Credit Default Swaps: Frequently Asked Questions
- Credit default swaps are contracts that provide protection against default by third parties, similar to insurance. These financial derivatives are used by banks and other financial institutions to manage risk. The rapid growth of the derivatives market, the potential for widespread credit defaults (such as defaults for subprime mortgages), and operational problems in the over-the-counter (OTC) market where credit default swaps are traded, have led some policymakers to inquire if credit default swaps are a danger to the financial system and the economy. This report defines credit default swaps, explains their use by banks for risk management, and discusses the potential for systemic risk.
- The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: Titles III and VI, Regulation of Depository Institutions and Depository Institution Holding Companies
- This report discusses Titles III and VI of the Dodd-Frank Act, which effectuate changes in the regulatory structure governing depository institutions and their holding companies and, thus, constitute a substantial component of the reform effort.
- The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: Titles III and VI, Regulation of Depository Institutions and Depository Institution Holding Companies
- This report discusses Titles III and VI of the Dodd-Frank Act, which effectuate changes in the regulatory structure governing depository institutions and their holding companies and, thus, constitute a substantial component of the reform effort.
- The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and International Trade: Legal Issues
- This report examines the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) role in regulating U.S. imported and exported consumer products. It also examines some of the international obligations that the United States has undertaken with respect to the promulgation of standards-related measures, such as mandatory consumer product safety regulations.
- Inflation-Indexing Elements in Federal Entitlement Programs
- This report identifies key indexing elements in major federal entitlement programs under current law and presents the information in a summary table. The report provides a brief description of the measures of consumer price change used to index various elements of these programs under current law, as well as the alternative measure of consumer price change (the Chained CPI-U) that has been proposed for computing Social Security cost-of-living-adjustments (COLAs) and making inflation adjustments to other federal programs.
- Medicare Endorsed Prescription Drug Discount Card Program
- No Description Available.
- Medicare: Major Prescription Drug Provisions of Selected Bills
- No Description Available.
- Medicare: Major Prescription Drug Provisions of Selected Bills
- No Description Available.
- Medicare: Major Prescription Drug Provisions of Selected Bills
- No Description Available.
- Medicare: Prescription Drug Proposals
- This report provides an overview of the President’s plan and the legislation introduced to date in the 106th Congress. It
- Medicare Prescription Drug Provisions of S.1, as Passed by the Senate, and H.R. 1, as Passed by the House
- This report discusses differences in the specifics of the prescription drug provisions in S. 1 and H.R. 1 and provides a side-by-side comparison of the Title I provisions of both bills.
- Medicare: Selected Prescription Drug Proposals
- Report on selected prescription drug proposals in the Medicare program, including a cost benefits analysis, summary of proposals, background of the issues, and more.
- Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit: An Overview of Implementation for Dual Eligibles
- This report provides background information on the early stages of the implementation of the Medicare Part D outpatient prescription drug program. This report describes certain policies and implementation issues related to those who are not dually eligible.
- Medicare: Side-by-Side Comparison of Selected Prescription Drug Bills
- Report comparing prescription drug bills in the Medicare program, including an examination of the covered population, benefits, deductibles, premiums, and more.
- Medicare Prescription Drug and Reform Legislation
- This report describes the major features of S. 1, as ordered reported, and the measure to be considered by the House Ways and Means Committee, H.R. 2473, as ordered reported.
- Overview of the Medicare Prescription Drug and Reform Legislation
- No Description Available.
- Overview of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003
- No Description Available.
- Overview of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003
- This report examines the the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, which creates a prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries and establishes a new Medicare Advantage program to replace the current Medicare+Choice program.
- Medicare: Beneficiary Cost-Sharing Under Prescription Drug Legislation
- This report provides an analysis of how the cost-sharing and premium provisions under the Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003 (S. 1) and the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003 (H bill would affect the amount that a beneficiary would pay annually for prescription drugs.
- Medicare: Beneficiary Cost-Sharing Under Proposed Prescription Drug Benefits
- This report examines these proposals as well as the “Medicare Rx Drug Benefit and Discount Act of 2003,” which was introduced by Representative Charles Rangel, the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Specifically, this report provides background on how the cost-sharing and premium provisions under each bill would affect the amount that a beneficiary pays annually for prescription drugs.
- Medicare: Beneficiary Cost-Sharing Under Proposed Prescription Drug Benefits
- This report provides background on how the cost-sharing and premium provisions under each bill would affect the amount that a beneficiary pays annually for prescription drugs. In addition, this report gives examples of how annual cost-sharing would differ for beneficiaries with various levels of total prescription drug spending in 2006 under the plans.
- Infant Formula: National Problems
- This report discusses congressional concerns regarding infant formula that was deficient in a required nutrient.
- Importing Prescription Drugs
- No Description Available.
- Importing Prescription Drugs
- No Description Available.
- Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (1998): Overview, Implementation by States, and Congressional Issues
- On November 23, 1998, attorneys general representing 46 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories signed an agreement with the major cigarette companies to settle all the state lawsuits seeking to recover the Medicaid costs of treating smokers. The Master Settlement Agreement, or MSA, contractually imposes some restrictions on tobacco advertising, marketing, and promotion and requires the manufacturers to make annual payments totaling about $206 billion through 2025. It follows earlier individual settlements with four states--Mississippi, Florida, Texas, and Minnesota--totaling more than $40 billion over the first 25 years. Cigarette price increases have passed on those settlement costs to smokers.
- Tobacco Legislation in the 105th Congress: Side-by-Side Comparison of S. 1415, S. 1530, S. 1638, S. 1889, H.R. 3474, and H.R. 3868
- No Description Available.
- Telemarketing: Dealing with Unwanted Telemarketing Calls
- This report provides summaries of the federal laws and regulations particular to telemarketing, the establishment of a national do-not-call registry, and on the options that are available to consumers to attempt to limit the calls that they receive from telemarketers and to report questionable telemarketing practices to local or federal authorities. The report also lists sources of additional information with addresses, phone numbers, and Internet sites (if available) and will be updated as legislation or news events warrant.
- Telemarketing: Dealing with Unwanted Telemarketing Calls
- This report provides summaries of the federal laws and regulations particular to telemarketing, the establishment of a national do-not-call registry, and the options that are available to consumers to limit the calls that they receive from telemarketers and to report questionable telemarketing practices to local or federal authorities. The report also lists sources of additional information with addresses, phone numbers, and Internet sites (if available).
- Telemarketing: Dealing with Unwanted Telemarketing Calls
- This report provides summaries of the federal laws and regulations particular to telemarketing, the establishment of a national do-not-call registry, and the options that are available to consumers to limit the calls that they receive from telemarketers and to report questionable telemarketing practices to local or federal authorities. The report also lists sources of additional information with addresses, phone numbers, and Internet sites (if available).
- Telemarketing: Dealing with Unwanted Telemarketing Calls
- This report provides summaries of the federal laws and regulations particular to telemarketing, the establishment of a national do-not-call registry, and the options that are available to consumers to limit the calls that they receive from telemarketers and to report questionable telemarketing practices to local or federal authorities. The report also lists sources of additional information with addresses, phone numbers, and Internet sites (if available).
- Telemarketing: Dealing with Unwanted Telemarketing Calls
- This report provides summaries of the federal laws and regulations particular to telemarketing, the establishment of a national do-not-call registry, and the options that are available to consumers to limit the calls that they receive from telemarketers and to report questionable telemarketing practices to local or federal authorities. The report also lists sources of additional information with addresses, phone numbers, and Internet sites (if available).
- Telemarketing: Dealing with Unwanted Telemarketing Calls
- This report provides summaries of the federal laws and regulations particular to telemarketing, the establishment of a national do-not-call registry, and the options that are available to consumers to limit the calls that they receive from telemarketers and to report questionable telemarketing practices to local or federal authorities. The report also lists sources of additional information with addresses, phone numbers, and Internet sites (if available).
- Telemarketing: Dealing With Unwanted Telemarketing Calls
- This report provides summaries of the federal laws and regulations particular to telemarketing, the establishment of a national do-not-call registry, and the options that are available to consumers to limit the calls that they receive from telemarketers and to report questionable telemarketing practices to local or federal authorities. The report also lists sources of additional information with addresses, phone numbers, and Internet sites (if available).
- Telemarketing: Dealing With Unwanted Telemarketing Calls
- This report provides summaries of the federal laws and regulations particular to telemarketing, the establishment of a national do-not-call registry, and the options that are available to consumers to limit the calls that they receive from telemarketers and to report questionable telemarketing practices to local or federal authorities. The report also lists sources of additional information with addresses, phone numbers, and Internet sites (if available).
- Telemarketing: Dealing With Unwanted Telemarketing Calls
- This report provides summaries of the federal laws and regulations particular to telemarketing, the establishment of a national do-not-call registry, and the options that are available to consumers to limit the calls that they receive from telemarketers and to report questionable telemarketing practices to local or federal authorities. The report also lists sources of additional information with addresses, phone numbers, and Internet sites (if available).
- Firestone Tire Recall: NHTSA, Industry, and Congressional Responses
- This report discusses the scope and nature of the safety challenge associated with the Firestone tire recall, and summarizes NHTSA’s defect investigations process (as of the end of the 106th Congress) and several relevant actions that NHTSA has taken to date. Second, some of the key efforts of Ford Motor Company (Ford) and Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. (Firestone) to deal with this challenge and associated economic impacts of the reported tire failures, and the recall are summarized