Healthcare (Long-Term Care)

in committee · United States · House Jun 10, 2025

HR 3864: Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act of 2025

This bill prohibits federal health programs (including Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP) from using quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) or similar metrics to deny coverage, limit payments, or set incentives for care. It directly affects patients with disabilities, elderly individuals, or those with terminal illnesses, who may have faced reduced care access under such metrics. Key provisions ban QALY-based decisions in coverage determinations starting January 1, 2027, and require states and insurers to comply. The bill also mandates a report on how QALYs negatively impact access to care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBans QALY-based denial of coverage in Medicare/Medicaid, protecting access for disabled, elderly, and terminal patients per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Medicaid Medicare Tags People with Disabilities

Track

in committee · United States · House Jun 6, 2025

HR 3808: Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act

This bill expands Medicare coverage for mental health services provided by clinical social workers to seniors in skilled nursing facilities. It removes an exclusion that previously prevented these services from being covered under Medicare's skilled nursing facility payment system. The bill specifically adds defined mental health service codes (including those for assessment and treatment) to Medicare's coverage, ensuring seniors can access these services without additional barriers. These changes will take effect for services provided on or after January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands Medicare coverage for mental health services in skilled nursing facilities, increasing federal spending on essential healthcare for seniors, aligning with funding essential programs.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands Medicare coverage for senior mental health services in nursing facilities, removing barriers to access and adding defined service codes to coverage.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Medicare Mental Health Tags Seniors

Track

in committee · United States · Senate May 22, 2025

S 1920: Continuous Skilled Nursing Quality Improvement Act of 2025

This bill redefines "private duty nursing services" under Medicaid as "continuous skilled nursing services" requiring licensed nurses (RNs or LPNs) for complex-care patients needing multiple hours of daily nursing. It directly affects Medicaid beneficiaries, particularly "full-benefit dual eligible individuals" (those qualifying for both Medicare and full Medicaid benefits), who rely on these services. Key mechanisms include mandating licensed providers, establishing a working group to develop national quality standards within 180 days, and updating Medicaid program guidelines to include these services by 18 months. The bill also requires states to incorporate these standards into their Medicaid programs and quality measure sets.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates licensed RNs/LPNs for Medicaid continuous skilled nursing, improving quality/access for dual-eligible beneficiaries under Medicaid, directly strengthening service standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Long-Term Care Medicaid

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 19, 2026

S 1482: National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2025

The National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2025 establishes a two-year federal pilot program to create or enhance state-based nursing workforce centers. These centers, funded through $1.5 million annually (2026-2027), will analyze nursing workforce data, address shortages, and develop strategies for recruitment and retention - using matching funds requiring $1 non-Federal for every $4 federal dollar. Eligible entities like state nursing boards, schools of nursing, and nonprofits will use grants to conduct statewide research on education gaps, clinical staffing challenges, and strategies to improve rural access and workforce diversity. Centers must report annually on outcomes, including demographic data and best practices for reducing shortages across specialties and regions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds $1.5M for nursing workforce centers to address shortages, improve recruitment/retention, directly strengthening healthcare services and medical professionals' capacity.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEstablishes nursing workforce centers to address shortages via recruitment/retention strategies, directly advancing labor market stability and employment standards in healthcare workforce development.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Long-Term Care

Track

in committee · United States · House Feb 12, 2025

HJRES 58: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services relating to "Medicare Program; Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Rate Update; HH Quality Reporting Program Requirements; HH Value-Based Purchasing Expanded Model Requirements; Home Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG) Items and Services Rate Update; and Other Medicare Policies".

HJRES 58 is a procedural resolution requesting Congress reject a rule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for 2025. The rule would have set payment rates, quality reporting standards, and other policies for home health care services under Medicare, including updates for intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) treatments. This resolution, if passed, would block the CMS rule from taking effect, directly affecting home health care providers and Medicare beneficiaries who rely on these services. It does not create new policy but aims to prevent the implementation of the specific 2025 Medicare home health regulations.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill blocks CMS rule setting 2025 home health payment rates and quality standards, preventing implementation of healthcare policies that would have affected Medicare beneficiaries and providers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Medicaid Medicare

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Sep 18, 2025

S 2865: Improving Access to Advance Care Planning Act

This bill expands Medicare coverage for advance care planning services, which help patients discuss future healthcare wishes with providers. It requires Medicare to pay 100% for these services (starting January 2027) without patient cost-sharing, directly affecting Medicare beneficiaries and eligible providers like doctors, nurse practitioners, and clinical social workers. Key provisions include removing barriers like requiring annual wellness visits first, allowing telehealth for these discussions, and updating billing codes. The law also mandates HHS outreach to providers about new coverage and requires a 2027 report analyzing how these services are delivered and billed.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands Medicare coverage for advance care planning, removes access barriers, and allows telehealth, directly improving patient access to healthcare planning services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Long-Term Care Medicare

Track

in committee · United States · House Jan 15, 2026

HR 7096: Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act

This bill amends Medicare and Medicaid regulations to clarify the conditions under which skilled nursing facilities lose approval for nurse training programs. It updates the criteria to include facilities assessed with a civil penalty of at least $12,924 for quality-of-care deficiencies or subject to specific corrective remedies. The changes refine the existing penalty thresholds and deficiency types that trigger loss of program approval. This is a technical regulatory adjustment affecting nursing facilities' compliance status under federal healthcare programs, not a new policy or funding measure.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill clarifies penalties for quality deficiencies in nursing facilities, ensuring standards for patient care under Medicare/Medicaid, aligning with protecting patient rights and quality access.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Long-Term Care Medicaid

Track

in committee · United States · Senate May 5, 2025

S 1600: Save Healthcare Workers Act

The Save Healthcare Workers Act (S 1600) makes it a federal crime to assault healthcare workers while they are performing job duties at hospitals or medical facilities engaged in interstate commerce. It covers assaults on staff at hospitals, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, children’s hospitals, cancer hospitals, and critical access hospitals, with enhanced penalties for using weapons, causing injury, or during declared emergencies. The bill establishes fines and prison sentences of up to 20 years for aggravated cases, while allowing a limited defense if the assailant has a disability that impaired their understanding of their actions. The law directly affects healthcare workers and hospitals by creating new federal prosecution pathways for workplace violence.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by creating federal assault penalties for healthcare workers, aligning with 'oppose' indicator of increased penalties.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProtects healthcare workers from assault, enhancing safety and enabling continued provision of services at healthcare facilities.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill protects healthcare workers from assault during duties, directly strengthening workplace safety protections under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Violent Crime Healthcare Workforce Hospitals Long-Term Care

Track

in committee · United States · House Mar 11, 2025

HR 2036: Credit for Caring Act of 2025

The Credit for Caring Act of 2025 creates a federal tax credit for family caregivers of elderly or disabled relatives. It allows eligible caregivers (with over $7,500 in earned income) to claim a credit equal to 30% of qualified caregiving expenses exceeding $2,000, capped at $5,000 per year. Qualified expenses include human assistance, home modifications, respite care, counseling, lost wages for unpaid time off, and transportation, all requiring certification from a licensed healthcare provider that the care recipient has long-term needs. The credit phases out for higher earners (over $75,000 single/$150,000 joint) and requires documentation of expenses and care recipient certification.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax credit for caregivers, reducing taxable income for middle-income families, aligning with tax relief indicators.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProvides tax credit for healthcare-related caregiving expenses (respite care, counseling, transportation) requiring healthcare provider certification, supporting access to essential services.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides tax credit for lost wages during unpaid caregiving, directly supporting workers' financial stability and balancing work-family needs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Tax Credits Long-Term Care Professional Licensing

Track