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Beneficiary Information and Decision Supports for the Medicare-Endorsed Prescription Drug Discount Card

Description: 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.
Date: March 24, 2005
Creator: Justice, Diane
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Broadband Internet Access and the Digital Divide: Federal Assistance Programs

Description: This report provides an overview of the "digital divide," which is a term used to describe a perceived gap between those Americans who use or have access to telecommunications and information technologies and those who do not.The report also dicusses about an important subset of th digital divide debate concerns high-speed Internet Access.
Date: March 24, 2005
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Budget Deficit and the Trade Deficit: What Is Their Relationship?

Description: During the last half of the 1990s, real gross domestic investment rose as a fraction of real GDP. This resulted from the rise in U.S. productivity and the related rise in the real yield on U.S. assets. This drew additional private capital from abroad. If the twin deficits theory is correct, it has an adverse implication for the efficacy of fiscal policy as a stimulus tool. It suggests that in an environment of highly mobile international capital flows the effect of policy induced increases in t… more
Date: March 24, 2005
Creator: Labonte, Marc & Makinen, Gail
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy

Description: The bilateral relationship between the U.S. and the People's Republic of China (PRC) is vitally important, touching on a wide range of areas including, among others, economic policy, security, foreign relations, and human rights. This report addresses relevant policy questions in current U.S.-China relations, discusses trends and key legislation in the current Congress, and provides a chronology of developments and high-level exchanges.
Date: March 24, 2005
Creator: Dumbaugh, Kerry
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Country Applicability of the U.S. Normal Trade Relations (Most-Favored-Nation) Status

Description: This report provides information about the Country Applicability of the U.S. Normal Trade Relations (Most-Favored-Nation) Status. The united states extends unlimited and permanent nondiscriminatory treatment to all of its trading partners.
Date: March 24, 2005
Creator: Pregelj, Vladimir N.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Health Care Quality: Improving Patient Safety by Promoting Medical Errors Reporting

Description: This report provides an overview and some analysis of medical errors reporting and the House and Senate patient safety bills. It begins with background information on the nature and causes of medical errors, followed by a brief comparison of the differences between mandatory and voluntary reporting systems. The report then discusses some of the legal and policy issues facing state mandatory reporting systems and major national voluntary reporting systems, and identifies design features of effec… more
Date: March 24, 2005
Creator: Redhead, C. Stephen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Mad Cow Disease: Agricultural Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides information on how most of the countries banned United States beef after the first report of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in a Canadian-born cow after the December 2003 U.S. report. This explains all the steps USDA has taken to reduce the positive cases of BSE by starting special programs. Updated March 24, 2005.
Date: March 24, 2005
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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An Overview of the Administration's Strengthening America's Communities Initiative

Description: This report discusses administration’s proposed base program called strengthening America’s communities initiative intended to award funds in support of job creation and economic development.
Date: March 24, 2005
Creator: Boyd, Eugene; Mulock, Bruce K.; Smale, Pauline; Cowan, Tadlock; Laney, Garrine P. & Foote, Bruce E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Trade Issues in the 109th Congress: Policy Challenges and Opportunities

Description: The 108th Congress completed a full trade agenda with the passage of legislation on a broad spectrum of issues. The 109th Congress is expected to face a trade agenda that will be at least as extensive, covering a wide range of issues, from the extension of presidential trade promotion (fast track) authority to consideration of more free trade agreements and oversight of the World Trade Organization (WTO) trade negotiations. In some respects, these issues are distinct, each with its own policy a… more
Date: March 24, 2005
Creator: Cooper, William H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Air Quality: Multi-Pollutant Legislation in the 109th Congress

Description: This report discusses air pollutants (petroleum, natural gas, and coal), which account for about two-thirds of U.S. electricity generation. These gases include several pollutants that directly pose risks to human health and welfare. The report also discusses the utilities that are subject to an array of environmental regulations.
Date: March 25, 2005
Creator: Parker, Larry & Blodgett, John E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Continuity of Operations (COOP): An Overview of Concepts and Challenges

Description: This report discusses the circumstances surrounding COOP planning, including provisions for alternative meeting sites and methods for conducting House and Senate meetings and floor sessions when Capitol facilities are not available.
Date: March 25, 2005
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric & Seifert, Jeffrey W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs

Description: The Direct-to-Consumer advertising of perscription drugs by pharmaceutical companies has been described as any promotional effort with respect to these drugs that targets the general public through the lay media. This report contains information on growth in spending on direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising, the impact of such advertising, the FDA's existing authority to regulate such advertising, funding, and legislative issues.
Date: March 25, 2005
Creator: Vogt, Donna U.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Environmental Protection Issues in the 109th Congress

Description: This report provides an overview of key environmental issues that are receiving or may receive attention in the 109th Congress. The sections on specific issues contain references to more detailed and extensive CRS reports on the subjects covered.
Date: March 25, 2005
Creator: Fletcher, Susan R. & Isler, Margaret M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Hurricanes and Disaster Risk Financing Through Insurance: Challenges and Policy Options

Description: The U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastal states, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Island are exposed to relatively high levels of risk from hurricanes and tropical storms. The rapid expansion of the U.S. population into areas that are susceptible to hurricanes has placed millions of people and new areas of economic activity in harm’s way. To address the financial and economic effects of such risks, households and businesses have relied on private insurance, state-sponsored insurance… more
Date: March 25, 2005
Creator: King, Rawle O.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iraq’s Trade with the World: Data and Analysis

Description: This report provides detailed trade information and statistics on Iraq’s trade with the world from 2001 to 2003, highlighting its major trading partners. Data on U.S. trade with Iraq from 2002 to 2004 are also provided.
Date: March 25, 2005
Creator: Jones, Vivian C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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