This bill would add acupuncture services to Medicare coverage for beneficiaries, specifically defining "qualified acupuncturist services" as those provided by state-licensed acupuncturists or physicians trained in acupuncture. It establishes payment rules allowing these services to be billed under the physician fee schedule, included in hospital inpatient billing, and provided under a doctor's supervision. The bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to set standards for non-licensed practitioners, mirroring nationally recognized certification. It would take effect 270 days after enactment, expanding access to acupuncture for Medicare-covered seniors.
HR 3086, the "Find It Early Act," requires health insurance plans to cover breast cancer screenings with no cost-sharing for certain individuals at higher risk of breast cancer. The bill affects people with increased risk (based on medical criteria or dense breast tissue) or those needing screening due to factors like age, race, ethnicity, or family history. Key provisions mandate coverage for 2D/3D mammograms, ultrasounds, MRI, and other technologies without frequency limits for these groups. This applies to group health plans, Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and VA healthcare systems starting January 1, 2024. The law aims to improve early detection by removing financial barriers to necessary screenings.
HR 2914 extends the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) program, which helps low-income workers afford health insurance, through 2028. It amends the tax code to change the expiration date from January 1, 2022, to January 1, 2028, for the credit's eligibility period. This directly affects eligible individuals who purchase health coverage through the marketplace, allowing them to continue receiving the tax credit. The bill makes no changes to the credit amount or eligibility rules, only extends the program's operational period.
The I CAN Act (Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act) expands healthcare access by removing barriers for nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, physician assistants, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse-midwives within Medicare and Medicaid programs. Key provisions include allowing these professionals to provide cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services, prescribe certain diabetic shoes, and deliver hospice care without unnecessary physician supervision. The bill also clarifies reimbursement for services provided by certified nurse anesthetists and improves access to home health services through certified nurse-midwives. These changes directly affect Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries by potentially increasing access to care and healthcare providers by expanding their scope of practice. The bill aims to improve healthcare delivery by leveraging the skills of advanced practice nurses across multiple care settings.
This bill establishes a new workplace violence prevention standard for healthcare and social service workers. It requires employers in covered facilities - including hospitals, nursing homes, mental health clinics, and social service settings - to develop and implement comprehensive prevention plans with specific requirements. These plans must include risk assessments, hazard prevention measures, employee training on violence prevention, and procedures for reporting and investigating violent incidents. The bill also amends Medicare regulations to require compliance with these standards for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities receiving Medicare funds.
This bill expands Medicare coverage for cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs by updating who can prescribe these services. It allows physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists (in addition to physicians) to authorize these programs under Medicare, broadening access for patients. The changes apply to services starting January 1, 2024, and directly affect Medicare beneficiaries needing cardiac or lung rehabilitation care. The policy simplifies provider eligibility without creating new funding or altering program structure.
This bill establishes minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for registered nurses in hospital units (such as 1:1 in trauma units, 2:1 in critical care units, and 3:1 in emergency rooms), requiring hospitals to develop and maintain staffing plans that meet these standards. It mandates transparency in documenting staffing levels, ensures hospitals verify nurses' competence for specific units, and enforces compliance through Medicare and Medicaid programs with penalties for violations. The bill protects nurses who refuse unsafe assignments due to staffing concerns and includes initiatives to improve nurse retention and address staffing shortages. It directly affects hospitals, nurses, and patients by aiming to improve patient safety and care quality through standardized staffing requirements. The bill applies to all hospitals, with extended implementation timelines for rural facilities.
The 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.
This 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.
This bill requires Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP to cover advanced genetic cancer testing (like DNA/RNA sequencing and their interpretation) for patients diagnosed with cancer. It defines covered tests as next-generation sequencing performed by clinical labs and limits coverage to once per diagnosis, recurrence, or treatment monitoring. Medicare will pay 80% of the test cost (or 100% if billed under assignment), while Medicaid and CHIP must include these tests in mandatory coverage starting January 1, 2025. The bill directly affects cancer patients enrolled in these federal health programs by ensuring access to specific genetic testing without excessive out-of-pocket costs.
HR 1754, the Healthcare Ownership Transparency Act, requires Medicare-participating healthcare providers (called "covered firms") to disclose detailed financial and ownership information to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Specifically, it mandates that firms owned by private equity funds submit 28 types of data - including debt structure, fees paid to private equity, political spending, vendor relationships, and leadership details - for each of the previous 10 years. Non-private equity-owned firms must also report core financial metrics like debt levels and political spending. The bill creates a new task force to study healthcare consolidation and private equity’s impact, and requires the GAO to analyze disclosed data to assess effects on costs, staffing, and quality. This aims to increase transparency around ownership structures influencing healthcare costs and operations.
This bill expands Medicare Part B coverage to include specific pharmacist services, directly affecting Medicare beneficiaries and pharmacists who provide these services. It adds new coverage for pharmacist evaluations and treatments related to certain illnesses (like COVID-19, flu, or strep throat) and public health emergencies, requiring payment at 80% of the lesser of actual charge or 85% of physician payment rates (100% during emergencies). The bill also prohibits balance billing for these services, ensuring beneficiaries pay only the standard Medicare copayment. These changes aim to improve access to pharmacist care during health crises while aligning payment with existing physician service frameworks.
