Rep. Stephanie I. Bice

Maddy summaryThis bill creates an exemption from certain physician self-referral rules for specific rural hospitals. It defines a "covered rural hospital" as one located more than 35 miles (or 15 miles in mountainous terrain) from another hospital or critical access hospital, primarily affecting rural facilities in remote areas. The bill also removes restrictions preventing physician-owned hospitals from expanding their services. These changes directly impact rural hospitals meeting the new distance criteria and physicians owning hospitals in those areas, while leaving most existing Medicare self-referral rules unchanged.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires heads of Executive agencies who serve on the National Security Council (like the Secretary of Defense or Homeland Security) to notify key government officials within 24 hours if they become unable to perform their duties due to illness. If they fail to meet this deadline, they must submit a detailed report within 30 days explaining the delay, listing acting officials and resources used, and documenting the incapacity period. It directly affects top national security agency leaders and ensures transparency during leadership gaps. The law aims to prevent confusion about who is temporarily in charge during medical emergencies involving critical national security roles.

Maddy summaryHR 6344, the Simon Crosier Act, requires Medicare and Medicaid providers to establish written policies for do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders involving unemancipated minors (under 18 without legal independence). It mandates that providers must inform at least one parent or legal guardian in person or by phone (with 72 hours of effort) before considering a DNR, allow parents/guardians to refuse consent, and prohibit overriding parental objections to life-sustaining treatment. The bill also requires providers to continue life-sustaining care for 15 days if a parent requests a transfer and explicitly prohibits using disability as the sole basis for DNR decisions. These requirements apply to all Medicare/Medicaid-covered facilities and directly affect minors, their parents, and healthcare providers.

Maddy summaryHR 5107, the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Recoupment Act, extends the statute of limitations for enforcing fraud related to pandemic unemployment benefits from 3 years to 10 years across multiple programs, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, and Lost Wages Assistance. It requires states to recover overpayments from individuals who knowingly received benefits they weren’t entitled to, through deductions from future unemployment benefits, while maintaining existing due process protections like hearings before repayment. States may waive repayment if the overpayment wasn’t the individual’s fault or if repayment would be unfair. The bill applies directly to individuals who received pandemic-era unemployment benefits through fraudulent means, ensuring states have a longer timeframe to address these cases under established fraud procedures.

Maddy summaryHR 3561, the PATIENT Act of 2023, requires hospitals, health insurance plans, and pharmacy benefit managers to publicly disclose detailed pricing information for healthcare services and drugs. Hospitals must publish standard charges for 300+ shoppable services, including gross charges, payer-specific negotiated rates, and discounted cash prices, with updates required annually. Health plans must provide real-time information on in-network rates, cost sharing, deductibles, and prior authorization requirements for covered services. The bill establishes enforcement mechanisms, including civil monetary penalties for non-compliance, with fines ranging from $300 per day for small hospitals to $5 million for large hospitals that fail to comply with the transparency requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 3387, the No Surprise Bills for New Moms Act, requires health insurance plans and employers to automatically cover newborns for 30 days after birth for any services the plan normally covers, without requiring prior enrollment. This directly affects new parents (including fathers) and their newborns, preventing unexpected bills during the initial post-birth period. The bill also mandates a 60-day special enrollment period to formally add the baby to the plan and requires insurers to notify parents immediately if a claim is filed for an unenrolled newborn. These provisions apply to both employer-sponsored and private health insurance plans.

Maddy summaryHR 2769, the "Stop Penalizing Working Seniors Act," allows seniors over 65 who are enrolled only in Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) to contribute to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). It removes a current tax rule that barred these seniors from HSA contributions while they remain working. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude this group from the existing restriction, effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022. This change directly affects working seniors with limited Medicare coverage who previously could not use HSAs for medical expenses.

Maddy summaryThe PROTECT 340B Act of 2023 prohibits pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), health insurance plans, and health insurance issuers from discriminating against healthcare providers participating in the 340B drug pricing program. It specifically bans these entities from paying less for 340B drugs than they would for similar drugs dispensed by non-340B providers, imposing special requirements on 340B providers, or requiring identification of 340B drugs in billing. The bill establishes civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation per day for PBMs that violate these protections and requires the Health Resources and Services Administration to create implementing regulations. It directly affects safety-net hospitals, clinics, and health centers that serve low-income patients, particularly those in rural areas, by protecting their ability to use 340B drug discounts to provide affordable care.

Maddy summaryHR 2474, the "Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act," changes how Medicare pays physicians for services. It replaces the previous two-part payment system (used through 2025) with a single annual payment rate update starting in 2024. This update will be based on the Medicare Economic Index (MEI), which tracks costs for medical providers. The change directly affects Medicare-certified doctors and clinics who receive payments under the physician fee schedule.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require Medicare to cover FDA-approved blood tests that screen for multiple cancers simultaneously (like breast, lung, or colorectal cancer) for beneficiaries. It directly affects Medicare recipients aged 65+ who could access these new screenings once per year, without prior authorization. The key provision adds "multi-cancer early detection screening tests" to Medicare's covered services under Part B, defining them as blood tests analyzing cell-free DNA, while maintaining existing coverage for standard screenings like mammograms. The bill does not change current coverage for individual cancer screenings but ensures Medicare keeps pace with new medical technology.