Press Releases

U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, is working on potential health care solutions that improve rural community access to health care, strengthen available health care services and deliver better health outcomes to patients.

Chairman Griffith introduced H.R. 5736, the Penicillin Allergy Verification and Evaluation Act, or PAVE Act. This bipartisan legislation adds a screening for penicillin allergy to the Medicare initial preventive physical examination. It is one solution that delivers improved access to penicillin allergy verification testing, directs medical applications of appropriate treatments and ensures better patient outcomes. The bill has received support from multiple patient and provider organizations, including the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology:

"We are excited to partner with Rep. Griffith and this bipartisan group of co-sponsors to help America’s seniors get better healthcare outcomes at a lower cost," said Frank Virant, MD, FAAAAI, President of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). "Penicillin allergy evaluation is safe and inexpensive, and removing this label for patients who can safely use penicillin improves their health outcomes, reduces drug costs and helps fight antimicrobial resistance. Medicare patients who are evaluated and 'delabeled' can avoid potential significant side effects from alternative antibiotics and be better protected against community-acquired infections in healthcare, residential and recreational facilities. We hope that standardizing delabeling among seniors is a first step toward broad adoption of this important public health intervention. In addition to helping America’s seniors, access to the most effective, well-tolerated antibiotic an individual patient can take gets them back to school and/or work sooner."

This comes on the heels of Chairman Griffith’s cosponsorship of Rep. Diana DeGette’s bill, H.R. 5621, the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2025. This bill strengthens the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) by adding physical therapists to the NHSC and making physical therapy an allowable service that can be reimbursable for community health centers. This pro-patient bill will allow more health care professionals in physical therapy to deliver rehabilitative care and address medical workforce shortages, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Additionally, Chairman Griffith headlined an event with Punchbowl News that focused on cancer prevention and early detection. During his remarks, Chairman Griffith expressed his belief that the United States is on the precipice of a revolution in medicine and medical innovation. You can watch his conversation with Punchbowl News co-founder and CEO Anna Palmer here.

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