This bill would expand Medicare Part B coverage to include medical nutrition therapy for beneficiaries with a wider range of chronic conditions beyond current limits (diabetes and kidney disease). It specifically adds conditions like obesity, hypertension, eating disorders, cancer, gastrointestinal diseases, and HIV to the list of covered illnesses, allowing coverage for prevention, management, or treatment. The bill also allows more healthcare providers - including dietitians, nurse practitioners, and clinical psychologists - to deliver these services. This change would directly affect millions of Medicare beneficiaries managing these conditions who previously lacked coverage for medically necessary nutrition therapy.
The Community Health Workforce Development Act establishes a 15-member Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services on training programs for health professionals working in community health centers. The committee must include at least 75% health professionals, one community health center patient, and balanced representation across health professions, geography, and urban/rural areas. It will develop performance measures and guidelines for training programs, meet at least twice yearly, and submit annual reports to Congress with findings and funding recommendations. This bill creates a new advisory structure but does not change existing funding or regulations for community health centers.
This bill amends IRS rules to clarify that contractors primarily providing services to educational organizations (like schools) are treated similarly to employees for health coverage purposes. Specifically, it changes Section 4980H of the tax code so that these contractors count toward full-time employee thresholds when determining if an educational organization must offer health insurance. This directly affects schools and their operations/logistics contractors, requiring schools to include these contractors when assessing health coverage obligations under employer mandates. The change applies to months beginning after the bill's enactment date.
The Rural Development Hospital Technical Assistance Program Act of 2025 establishes a new program within the Department of Agriculture to provide tailored technical assistance to eligible rural hospitals and clinics. It directly affects facilities like critical access hospitals, rural health clinics, and other designated rural health care providers in underserved areas, particularly those facing financial challenges or located in health professional shortage zones. The program helps these facilities identify development needs (such as facility upgrades, telehealth expansion, or health IT systems), improve financial management, and access USDA loan and grant programs. Authorized funding is $2 million annually for fiscal years 2025-2029, with mandatory annual reports to Congress on program outcomes and effectiveness.
S 2699, the Geriatrics Workforce Improvement Act, authorizes $48,245,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to fund geriatrics education and training programs under the Public Health Service Act. This funding directly supports healthcare providers and training institutions focused on elder care by expanding resources for developing geriatric specialists. The bill’s key provision replaces a prior funding reference with this specific, multi-year appropriation to strengthen the geriatric healthcare workforce. It does not change eligibility or create new requirements, only establishing dedicated federal funding for existing geriatrics training initiatives.
Rebuild America’s Health Care Schools Act of 2025 This bill allows hospitals to receive reimbursement under Medicare for certain costs associated with training nursing and allied health students in settings other than the hospital itself. Currently, hospitals may receive reimbursement under Medicare for the reasonable costs associated with training nursing and allied health students if certain conditions are met; the criteria vary depending on whether the students are enrolled in an educational program that is operated by the hospital or another entity. If the students are part of a program that is operated by another entity, the training must occur at the hospital itself or in areas immediately surrounding the hospital in order to qualify for reimbursement (among other requirements). The bill allows hospitals to receive reimbursement for these costs if the training is conducted at an entity that is related to the hospital (i.e., common ownership or control). The bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to update regulations to reflect these changes. Additionally, the CMS may not recoup or reduce payments to hospitals with respect to costs that are allowed under the bill and must refund any such recoupments or reductions that occurred during the six-year period prior to the bill's enactment.
The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 would add 2,000 new residency positions annually from 2026 through 2032 (14,000 total), distributed to hospitals that meet specific criteria. The bill prioritizes distribution to rural hospitals, hospitals serving health professional shortage areas, and hospitals with accredited rural training tracks, while requiring hospitals to train at least 25% of residents in primary care and general surgery. Hospitals can receive up to 75 additional residency positions over the 7-year period, and the legislation also creates a new program to fund rural residency programs with $12.7 million annually from 2026-2030. The bill directly affects hospitals participating in medical residency training programs, particularly those in underserved areas seeking to expand their training capacity. It also includes provisions for a study on increasing diversity in the health workforce and technical assistance for rural residency programs.
HR 3333, the MORE Nurses Act, mandates a federal study to address the nursing shortage. It requires the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education to examine nursing workforce trends, education capacity, causes of the shortage, and existing federal policies - like support for nursing programs and diversity efforts - within one year. The Council must then submit a public report with specific recommendations to policymakers on solutions, including potential legislative or regulatory changes. This bill does not directly fund programs or change current laws but sets the stage for future policy decisions affecting nurses, healthcare systems, and underserved communities.
The Nutrition CARE Act of 2025 (S 1971) expands Medicare Part B coverage to include medical nutrition therapy for beneficiaries with eating disorders, starting January 1, 2026. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with eating disorders, including those from historically underserved groups like Black, Indigenous, and People of Color who face significant treatment gaps. The bill amends Medicare law to cover 13 hours of initial medical nutrition therapy (including a 1-hour assessment) and 4 hours annually for ongoing management, provided by registered dietitians or nutrition professionals following a referral from a physician or psychologist. This change addresses a current gap where Medicare did not cover outpatient medical nutrition therapy for eating disorders, aligning coverage with established treatment guidelines.
The I CAN Act aims to expand healthcare access by removing barriers for nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse-midwives in Medicare and Medicaid programs. Key provisions include allowing nurse practitioners to certify patients for cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs without physician supervision, expanding coverage for services provided by certified nurse-midwives in home health care, and removing unnecessary supervision requirements for nurse anesthetists. The bill changes Medicare rules to permit these advanced practice nurses to provide more services directly to patients in settings like hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health care. This would directly affect millions of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries who receive care from these healthcare providers. The changes would take effect 90 days after enactment, with some provisions applying to services furnished on or after that date.
