Healthcare

HR 4258 would expand Medicare's critical access hospital (CAH) program to include certain hospitals located on Indian reservations. Starting August 1, 2025, states could designate qualifying reservation hospitals as CAHs if they are more than 35 miles (or 15 miles in mountainous areas) from another reservation hospital or an Indian Health Service/tribal facility. This change would allow these hospitals to receive Medicare reimbursement under CAH rules, which provide higher payment rates for rural facilities. The bill also permits such hospitals to establish psychiatric or rehabilitation units without being restricted by the usual bed count limits for CAHs. This directly affects hospitals on tribal lands seeking improved Medicare funding access.

HR 6259, the "No Fentanyl on Social Media Act," requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to produce a detailed report within one year of enactment. The report must examine how minors access fentanyl (including pressed pills) through social media platforms, covering sellers' methods, health risks, platform design impacts, and current measures by platforms, law enforcement, and medical professionals. It specifically asks for recommendations to reduce this access and mandates consultation with stakeholders like parents and medical experts. The bill does not ban fentanyl sales or create new penalties; it solely focuses on gathering information to inform future policy.

HR 6117, the Patient Device Data Access Act of 2025, requires medical device manufacturers to share patient-specific data recorded or transmitted by covered devices (like pacemakers or remote monitors) when a patient requests it. The bill mandates that manufacturers provide this data in understandable formats, publish device-specific data policies on their websites, and notify patients about how to access their information. It directly affects patients using covered devices and device manufacturers, while exempting data stored in inaccessible closed systems. The law focuses on enabling patient access to their own health data without requiring device redesigns or disclosing proprietary information.

Building Resources and Access for Veterans' Mental Health Engagement Act of 2025 or the BRAVE Act of 2025 This bill addresses mental health services and care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including matters related to personnel, Vet Center administration, care for women veterans, and access to care. The bill authorizes the VA to waive the licensure or certification requirement for individual licensed professional mental health counselor appointees for a reasonable period of time. The bill also extends the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program and increases the maximum annual grant amount. The VA must provide Vet Centers with guidance for assessing outreach activities and implement processes to periodically assess the extent to which (1) veterans and eligible members of the Armed Forces experience barriers to obtaining services at Vet Centers, and (2) Vet Center staff may encounter barriers to providing services. Among other requirements, the VA must also survey and host listening sessions with women veterans to gauge the effectiveness of the VA’s suicide prevention, lethal-means safety, and mental health resources and messaging campaigns; initiate efforts to modify the Recovery Engagement and Coordination for Health-Veterans Enhanced Treatment (REACH VET) program to incorporate risk factors weighted for women; annually offer a mental health consultation to veterans who are receiving compensation for a service-connected disability relating to a mental health diagnosis; and implement a pilot program to provide access to mental health residential treatment programs for veterans with a spinal cord injury or disorder.

The BABIES Act (HR 5202) provides federal grants and Medicaid demonstration programs to expand access to freestanding birth centers, primarily benefiting low-risk pregnant women in underserved areas who rely on Medicaid. It allocates $5 million (2026-2030) for grants up to $500,000 per birth center to cover facility upgrades, equipment, and accreditation costs, with priority for centers in maternity care deserts or areas with poor outcomes. Additionally, it creates a 4-year Medicaid demonstration program testing new payment models for birth centers that meet strict standards (like accreditation, licensure, and emergency capabilities), requiring states to develop prospective payment systems covering services from pregnancy through postpartum care. The program aims to improve access and quality of low-risk maternity care while collecting data on clinical outcomes and costs compared to traditional hospital services.

This bill establishes a federal grant program to fund research on using generative AI in healthcare. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will award grants to eligible entities like universities, non-profits, and government agencies to study how AI can improve clinical documentation, reduce administrative burdens, speed up insurance claims, and enhance patient service. Grants prioritize projects focused on reducing clinician burnout, addressing health disparities, and expanding care for medically underserved populations. The law aims to support practical AI applications that make healthcare more efficient and accessible without mandating specific technologies or outcomes.

HR 6509, the SAFE Drugs Act of 2025, limits how often pharmacies and healthcare providers can create custom drug formulations that copy standard medications. It restricts compounding any drug essentially identical to a commercially available product to no more than 20 times per month for individual patients. The bill also requires pharmacies compounding such drugs for out-of-state patients more than 20 times monthly to report details to the FDA, while exempting hospital pharmacies. These changes aim to improve safety oversight of non-standard drug compounding by setting clear limits and reporting rules.

This bill expands Medicare coverage to include genetic counseling services provided by licensed or certified genetic counselors, effective January 1, 2027. It defines "covered genetic counseling services" as those furnished by qualified counselors under state law or certification, with payments set at 80% of the lesser of the actual charge or 85% of the physician fee schedule. Medicare beneficiaries seeking genetic counseling will gain access to these services through covered providers, while preventing balance billing for these specific services. The bill does not restrict physicians from billing for similar services under existing Medicare rules.

Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act This bill provides for coverage without prior authorization requirements of annual lung cancer screenings under Medicaid, Medicare, and private health insurance for individuals for whom screenings are recommended under U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines. It also expands Medicaid coverage of counseling and pharmacotherapy for cessation of tobacco use to all individuals, rather than only pregnant women. The Department of Health and Human Services must conduct outreach on the importance of lung cancer screenings and who should be screened, and the Government Accountability Office must report on the demographics of those diagnosed with lung cancer and recommend ways the federal government can improve screenings.

This bill changes how state agencies purchase infant formula for the WIC program. It requires selecting two manufacturers through competitive bidding (instead of one) and designates one as primary and one as secondary for each state's contract. This aims to improve supply chain reliability and access for WIC participants - low-income pregnant women, infants, and children. The policy directly affects all states administering WIC formula contracts under the Child Nutrition Act.