Jefferson Reporter

U.S. Senator Katie Britt Advances $700,000 for McMillan Memorial Hospital

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 7, 2024 – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, has secured $700,000 for D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital in Escambia County as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The funds are intended to assist the hospital in acquiring necessary medical equipment.

“Health care is critical for the wellbeing of communities across the state of Alabama. As a daughter of rural Alabama, I understand that every community has unique needs, which is why I worked to secure $700,000 for D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital to procure needed medical equipment to improve patient care,” said Senator Britt. “When I took office, I promised to return your hard-earned taxpayer dollars to Alabama. These funds are returning home to our great state in a commonsense way, investing in the long-term medical care of Alabamians.”

The FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

Senator Britt secured $15.218 million for health care funding in the FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

Background:

Senator Britt has prioritized health care during her first 19 months in office with a focus on rural and maternal care. She collaborated with Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) on introducing the NIH IMPROVE Act aimed at providing consistent support for research into maternal mortality causes and improving women's health before, during, and after pregnancy.

Additionally, she joined Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) in introducing the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act to expand access to maternal care by supporting rural health facilities.

In September 2023, Senator Britt reintroduced the Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD) Act with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). This legislation aims to eliminate copays for breast cancer diagnostic tests.

Last December saw her join a bipartisan group of senators in reintroducing the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2023. This bill seeks to expand telehealth services through Medicare permanently.

Furthermore, she cosponsored two pieces of legislation related to insulin access: the Affordable Insulin Now Act of 2023 capping insulin prices at $35 per month supply; and the Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act addressing insulin costs comprehensively.

Senator Britt also introduced the Youth Mental Health Research Act with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) aiming at creating a national initiative focused on youth mental health research.