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Bipartisan bill to expand care for energy workers highlighted at House subcommittee hearing
Summary
House members and witnesses told the Education and Labor subcommittee that HR 4122 would let nurse practitioners and physician assistants order care under the Energy Employees program, shortening delays for rural patients and aligning the program with VA and CMS practice.
Members of the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Workforce Protections heard bipartisan support for HR 4122, the Health Care for Energy Workers Act, which would permit nurse practitioners and physician assistants to order care under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA).
Supporters said the change would reduce travel burdens and long delays for energy workers who live in health-care deserts. "This bipartisan legislation will modernize the 25-year-old statute to improve health care for these heroes," said Patrick Hou, Executive Vice President of Nuclear Care Partners, urging lawmakers to align the Energy Workers program with VA and CMS practice so patients can receive care closer to home.
Sponsor statements and witness testimony emphasized rural access: Representative McBath said many Georgia counties have few or no physicians and described a constituent who must drive more than six hours round trip for care. Hou and other witnesses gave individual examples, including a New Mexico patient who drove four hours to see a kidney doctor, to illustrate how allowing NPs and PAs to order care could shorten the time to initial visits and to required documentation for approvals.
Witnesses also discussed complementary changes. Hou and others supported expanded telemedicine for follow-ups and annual renewals where clinically appropriate, while acknowledging telemedicine cannot replace in-person assessments when a clinician must examine a deteriorating patient. Sponsors argued the bill would reduce redundant visits—cases where a patient sees an NP or PA locally and then must also see a physician to satisfy current program rules.
Committee members asked about implementation details such as geographic coverage, coordination with federal resource centers for outreach, and metrics to track performance. Nuclear Care Partners recommended more proactive DOL outreach and annual communications to identify and inform eligible former workers.
The hearing did not include a markup or vote on HR 4122. Members said they would continue oversight and follow-up, and the hearing record was left open for written submissions.
