Healthcare

in committee · United States · Senate May 12, 2025

S 1717: Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2025

S 1717, the Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2025, requires Medicare to cover FDA-designated "breakthrough" medical devices during a 4-year transitional period starting when the device is approved. This directly affects Medicare beneficiaries (Part A/B enrollees) and device manufacturers, ensuring coverage for these innovative products while FDA reviews their safety. The bill mandates that Medicare’s coverage decisions for these devices must be finalized within 9-12 months before the 4-year period ends, and allows coverage denial only if clinical data shows the device poses undue risk. It also allocates $10 million annually (2026-2031) to fund Medicare’s implementation of these coverage rules.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates Medicare coverage for FDA-designated breakthrough devices, expanding patient access to innovative medical products during transitional period.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicare Telehealth

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in committee · United States · House Mar 20, 2026

HR 7514: Rural Health Care Facilities Revitalization Act

This bill creates new funding opportunities for rural health facilities (like hospitals, clinics, and long-term care centers) in areas with populations under 50,000. It allows these facilities to use existing Rural Development Agency funds to refinance debt, update telehealth/equipment, or cover operating costs - provided the assistance preserves health access and improves the facility’s financial health. Eligibility requires the facility to be in a rural area or a persistent poverty area (defined as a 20%+ poverty rate for 30 years), and the Secretary may waive certain requirements for insolvent facilities in distressed communities. The law amends existing farm and rural development programs to directly support rural health infrastructure without creating new funding streams.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProvides new funding for rural health facilities to improve access, update telehealth, and cover operating costs, directly advancing healthcare access and facility sustainability.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly funds telehealth equipment updates for rural facilities, advancing technology access in underserved areas.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Long-Term Care Telehealth Tags Rural Communities

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in committee · United States · House Jun 5, 2025

HR 3762: Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act

HR 3762, the Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act, requires health insurance plans to cover comprehensive prenatal, childbirth, neonatal, perinatal, and postpartum care without cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles). It mandates specific services including ultrasounds, care for pregnancy loss, delivery support, and postpartum behavioral health services for conditions like diabetes or hypertension. The bill applies to group health plans and individual insurance policies starting after the law's enactment, covering both biological mothers and legal parents who did not give birth. This policy directly affects insured individuals seeking maternal and newborn healthcare, ensuring these essential services are fully covered under existing Affordable Care Act requirements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates no cost-sharing for comprehensive maternal/baby care services, expanding insurance coverage and access to critical health services.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill expands health insurance coverage for pregnant workers and postpartum care, strengthening worker benefits and protecting maternal health in the workplace.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Mental Health Women's Health

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in committee · United States · House Jan 14, 2025

HR 307: ARC Act of 2025

HR 307, the ARC Act of 2025, aims to reduce avoidable amputations by expanding access to peripheral artery disease (PAD) screening and prevention. It requires Medicare and Medicaid to cover PAD screening tests (like ankle-brachial index tests) without cost-sharing for at-risk beneficiaries, including seniors, diabetics, and those with other vascular risk factors. The bill also establishes a federal education program to raise awareness about PAD and creates quality measures to incentivize hospitals to prioritize non-amputation treatments through early detection. These provisions directly affect millions of Americans, particularly minorities disproportionately impacted by PAD-related amputations, by making preventive care more accessible and integrated into routine care.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands Medicare/Medicaid coverage for PAD screening without cost-sharing for at-risk groups, directly advancing preventive healthcare access and reducing barriers for vulnerable populations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Medicare Primary Care

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in committee · United States · House Dec 15, 2025

HR 6708: ICHRA Permanency Act

The ICHRA Permanency Act makes permanent a 2019 federal rule that allows employers to offer health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) to cover individual health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket medical costs. This directly affects small employers and their employees, enabling businesses to provide tax-advantaged health coverage without requiring group plans. The bill codifies the existing rule into law, ensuring it has the full force of law and cannot be altered by future administrations. This creates a stable framework for employers using HRAs to help workers afford health coverage.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEnables tax-advantaged health coverage via HRAs, providing tax relief for small businesses and employees, aligning with tax relief indicators.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands employer health coverage options via tax-advantaged HRAs, enabling small businesses to provide individual health insurance without group plans, directly advancing access to coverage.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · United States · Senate Sep 17, 2025

S 2830: WELL Seniors Act of 2025

The WELL Seniors Act of 2025 expands Medicare's annual wellness visit program to better address seniors' health and social needs. It requires screenings for fall risk and assessments of food security, housing, transportation, and social support, with providers receiving a 10% payment incentive for including at least two additional elements beyond standard care. The bill also allows these visits to be provided via telehealth and adds physical therapists, occupational therapists, and pharmacists as eligible providers starting in 2026. Additionally, it mandates a national education campaign and research study to improve uptake, particularly for low-income and rural seniors.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands Medicare wellness visits with social need screenings and provider incentives, improving senior healthcare access and comprehensive care services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Medicare Telehealth Tags Seniors

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in committee · United States · House Aug 1, 2025

HRES 629: Honoring the life of Dr. Paul Farmer by recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to adopt a 21st-century global health solidarity strategy and take actions to address past and ongoing harms that undermine the health and well-being of people around the world.

HRES 629 is a non-binding House resolution honoring Dr. Paul Farmer and calling for U.S. policy changes to address global health inequities. It directly affects low- and middle-income countries by urging the federal government to adopt a "21st-century global health solidarity strategy," including increasing U.S. global health funding to $125 billion annually (to meet the UN 0.7% GNI target) and supporting national health systems through Dr. Farmer’s "Five S’s" framework (staff, space, stuff, systems, social support). The resolution also mandates addressing systemic economic harms like debt, tax evasion, and colonial legacies through debt cancellation, tax reform, and reparations for historical injustices. It emphasizes concrete policy shifts rather than funding alone, requiring coordinated multilateral action to close health financing gaps and reform global governance institutions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly demands $125B annual increase in global health funding, directly advancing budgetary allocation for public health programs.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExplicitly calls for $125B annual global health funding to address inequities, advancing public health programs and international healthcare access through U.S. policy changes.95% confidence

Track

in committee · United States · House May 8, 2025

HR 3266: Mental Health Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2025

HR 3266, the Mental Health Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2025, provides federal loans and loan guarantees to help build or upgrade mental health and substance use disorder treatment facilities. It directly affects eligible entities like hospitals, clinics, and community facilities - especially those serving pediatric or adult patients in underserved rural areas or communities with insufficient psychiatric bed capacity. Key provisions include requiring borrowers to cover 25% of project costs, prioritizing projects that increase bed availability in high-need areas, and capping annual funding at $200 million (2026-2030). The bill establishes specific terms for loans, such as 20-year maximum terms and a 25% set-aside for pediatric facilities, to expand access to inpatient and outpatient care.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProvides federal loans/guarantees to build mental health facilities in underserved areas, directly expanding access to treatment services per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Children's Health Hospitals Mental Health

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 5, 2026

S 3783: Mental Health Career Promotion Act

The Mental Health Career Promotion Act (S 3783) creates a federal grant program to help schools and community colleges connect students with mental health career opportunities. It provides $50 million annually (2026-2030) for partnerships between schools, community colleges, and mental health providers to offer students career exposure through presentations, internships, mentorships, and shadowing. The program targets high school students (grades 9-12) and community college students, requiring activities to be culturally and linguistically appropriate. Grants must support concrete career pathways in mental health fields, including roles like counselors, social workers, and peer specialists, with annual reporting on program effectiveness.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides $50M for school-community college partnerships to create mental health career pathways, expanding student educational access and opportunities in K-12 and higher education.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds mental health workforce development via $50M grants for student career pathways in mental health services, directly strengthening future healthcare capacity.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Higher Education Student Health Mental Health

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in committee · United States · Senate Sep 16, 2025

S 2823: FAMILY Act

The FAMILY Act (S 2823) would establish a federal paid family and medical leave insurance program that provides wage replacement benefits for eligible workers who need time off for family or medical reasons. It directly affects workers who need leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition, address their own serious health condition, or deal with family violence or other qualifying acts of violence. The program would pay a percentage of an individual's average earnings (up to 85% for lower earners), with maximum monthly benefits of $4,000 and minimum benefits of $580 in 2026, while requiring employers to maintain health coverage during leave. The Social Security Administration would administer the program through a new Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave, with benefits available starting 18 months after enactment.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProvides wage replacement for medical leave, enabling access to healthcare without income loss, directly expanding coverage for health-related absences.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEstablishes federal paid family leave program, expanding worker benefits for medical/family needs and protecting wage replacement during leave.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

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