Rep. Morgan McGarvey

Maddy summaryThe Medical Nutrition Equity Act of 2023 requires Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, TRICARE, FEHBP, and private health insurance plans to cover medically necessary food for patients with specific digestive and inherited metabolic disorders. The bill defines "medically necessary food" as specialized formulas, vitamins, or amino acids prescribed by a physician for conditions including inherited metabolic disorders, malabsorption syndromes, food allergies, and inflammatory bowel diseases. It mandates coverage for both the food and necessary equipment/supplies to administer it, specifically prohibiting insurers from requiring feeding tubes when oral administration is possible. The bill also establishes that Medicare coverage will be 80% of the cost for these items. This legislation aims to ensure patients with these conditions can access the specialized nutrition therapies they need to prevent serious health complications like malnutrition, hospitalization, or developmental issues.

Maddy summaryThe Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2023 makes key changes to improve benefits for coal miners with black lung disease (pneumoconiosis) and their families. It clarifies eligibility using medical evidence like chest scans and biopsies, creates a program to pay attorneys' fees and medical expenses for qualifying claims, and restores cost-of-living adjustments to benefits that had been frozen for years. The bill also requires a strategy to reduce delays in processing claims and improves how employment and earnings information is shared to support claims. These changes aim to make it easier for miners and their families to access the benefits they're entitled to under the Black Lung Benefits Act.

Maddy summaryThe ARCC Act provides $100 million in federal funding to help apprentices and pre-apprentices in job training programs cover childcare costs. It authorizes competitive grants to 10 states, which must distribute monthly stipends of at least $500 per dependent child directly to eligible childcare providers on behalf of participants in these programs. The bill prioritizes individuals from historically underrepresented groups (based on race, ethnicity, or gender) and ensures stipends are tax-free while not affecting eligibility for other federal benefits. States must report on participation, program completion rates, and demographic data, with the Secretary later summarizing program impacts for Congress.

Maddy summaryThe MORE Act (HR 5601) would federally decriminalize cannabis by removing it from the Schedule I list of controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act. It requires federal courts to expunge non-violent cannabis convictions and associated arrests, with a focus on addressing racial disparities in cannabis enforcement. The bill creates an Opportunity Trust Fund that would allocate 50% of funds to criminal justice programs, 20% to small business assistance for minority cannabis entrepreneurs, and 20% to community reinvestment grants for individuals impacted by the War on Drugs. It also prohibits federal agencies from denying benefits or security clearances based on cannabis use or past cannabis convictions, and establishes a Cannabis Justice Office to administer these programs.

Maddy summaryThe CARE for Moms Act aims to reduce maternal mortality in the United States by improving healthcare access and quality for pregnant and postpartum women, with specific attention to racial disparities. Key provisions include requiring 12-month continuous Medicaid coverage for postpartum individuals (up from 60 days), expanding oral health coverage during pregnancy, and funding State-Based Perinatal Quality Collaboratives through $35 million annual grants. The bill specifically targets the higher maternal mortality rates faced by Black women, who are about 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. It also includes provisions for doula services, rural mobile health units, and improved data collection on maternal health outcomes.

Maddy summaryThe Cutting Copays Act lowers prescription drug costs for low-income Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Starting in 2024, generic drugs will have a $0 copay, while other drugs will have a copay set at the 2023 level (adjusted for prior changes) and then increased annually by the consumer price index. For 2023 and earlier, the maximum copay for generic drugs was $1 and for other drugs was $3. This directly reduces out-of-pocket expenses for millions of low-income seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in Medicare Part D.

Maddy summaryThe Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023 repeals a 2018 payment adjustment for Medicare home health agencies, restoring prior payment rates for 2024 and subsequent years. It requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to analyze how home health agencies' financial performance affects access to care, including reviewing spending and utilization data across Medicare, Medicaid, and other payers. Starting in 2025, the bill mandates home health agencies to report detailed data on visit volumes and payments by payer source (Medicare, Medicaid, private insurers) through updated cost reports. This data will help MedPAC assess payment policy impacts on access to home health services for Medicare beneficiaries.

Maddy summaryThe Social Security 2100 Act would significantly enhance Social Security benefits for millions of Americans by increasing monthly payments for retirees, disabled workers, widows/widowers, and children. Key provisions include raising the minimum benefit for long-term low earners, improving cost-of-living adjustments using a more accurate index, eliminating the 5-month waiting period for disability benefits, and extending child benefits to age 26. The bill also changes how Social Security taxes are calculated by applying them to income above $400,000 and establishes a unified Social Security Trust Fund to manage program finances. Most provisions would apply to benefits payable from 2025 through 2034, affecting all current and future Social Security beneficiaries.

Maddy summaryThe Abortion Justice Act of 2023 would establish $350 million in federal grants to support abortion access, including coverage for transportation, lodging, childcare, and direct care services. It would require health care facilities receiving federal funds to provide abortion care and mandate comprehensive coverage for abortion services in all health insurance plans, including Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance. The bill would also remove barriers for immigrants seeking abortion care, clarify privacy protections for reproductive health information under HIPAA, and prohibit immigration enforcement within 2,000 feet of health care facilities. These provisions would directly affect people seeking abortion care, health care providers, and immigrant communities across the United States.

Maddy summaryHR 4073, the Duty Drawback Clarification Act, clarifies U.S. tariff classifications for imported whiskies by creating specific subheadings in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. It replaces a single tariff line with eight new subheadings that categorize whiskies by type (Irish/Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, or "Other") and container size (under or over 4 liters), each with a uniform duty rate of $2.04 per liter. This change directly affects whiskey importers and manufacturers who must now classify products using these new codes when entering goods into U.S. commerce. The bill streamlines duty calculation and drawback claims (refunds of duties on imported goods later exported) by standardizing the tariff structure for whiskey categories.