The Great American Healthcare Plan is a comprehensive bill that modifies tax rules for Health Savings Accounts, expands access to health insurance through new marketplace pools, and strengthens price transparency for hospitals and medical providers. It allows individuals to use HSAs for wellness expenses like healthy food and gym memberships, lets parents and children access each other's HSA funds, and requires hospitals to publicly list their standard charges and negotiated rates. The legislation also mandates that administrative service providers share detailed pricing data with health plans and creates a mechanism for pharmacists and nurses to dispense certain low-risk prescription drugs under expanded access.
The Mammography Access for Veterans Act of 2025 expands the Department of Veterans Affairs' telescreening mammography program by removing the "pilot" designation and extending its timeline until May 1, 2027. This legislation requires the VA to offer at least one mammography option - such as telescreening, full-service screening, or mobile units - in every state and Puerto Rico within two years of enactment. The bill also mandates that these services remain accessible to veterans with paralysis, spinal cord injuries, or other disabilities. Additionally, it allows the VA to continue expanding these services to facilities outside the current pilot group or in states where breast imaging is not yet available.
Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program Reauthorization This bill extends the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program for an additional five years. The program tests the feasibility of cost-based reimbursement under Medicare for small rural hospitals that are too large to qualify for special payment as critical access hospitals. The bill specifies that hospitals that participate in the program between December 30, 2024, and January 1, 2027, may continue to participate during the five-year extension period.
This bill establishes a grant program to help vulnerable mothers and babies in areas with high climate-related health risks, such as extreme heat and air pollution. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services to award up to $105 million over four years to community groups, healthcare providers, and local organizations for initiatives that provide cooling resources, health education, and support services. The program prioritizes areas with high rates of maternal and infant health disparities and requires grantees to address racial and ethnic inequities. Additionally, the bill creates a research consortium at the National Institutes of Health to study climate impacts on birth outcomes and funds training programs for health profession schools to better prepare providers for these risks.
The Patients Before Monopolies Act prohibits companies from owning both pharmacy benefit managers and insurance businesses or pharmacies to eliminate conflicts of interest. It requires existing violators to sell off their pharmacy operations within one year and grants the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice the power to block new mergers that would recreate these combined ownership structures. The bill also allows private citizens and state officials to sue for violations, seeking penalties like disgorgement of profits and treble damages if the law is broken.
This non-binding resolution expresses the House of Representatives' view that the FDA should regulate mifepristone, a medication used for abortion, based on scientific evidence rather than political pressure. It highlights over 25 years of data showing the drug is safe and effective when prescribed via telemedicine or dispensed by mail and pharmacy. The bill advocates for policies that ensure equitable access to this care, particularly for marginalized communities facing barriers due to state-level restrictions. By citing numerous studies and medical organizations, the resolution calls for transparent, science-based decisions to maintain current access methods.
The ALERT Act of 2026 directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create a five-year program that expands the National Healthcare Safety Network to provide real-time infectious disease monitoring specifically for nursing homes. To achieve this, the bill authorizes the CDC to contract with eligible U.S.-based technology firms that are not electronic medical records companies and hold specific security certifications to build and operate the necessary surveillance infrastructure. The funded system must be capable of immediately detecting outbreaks, integrating with existing reporting tools, and notifying health authorities while strictly protecting patient privacy and prohibiting the use of collected data for regulatory enforcement. Additionally, the legislation requires a final report to Congress evaluating the system's effectiveness on patient outcomes and recommends whether to continue or expand the program through fiscal year 2031.
The IMPACT Act of 2025 amends the Affordable Care Act to expand eligibility for catastrophic health insurance plans. Specifically, it allows individuals who do not qualify for financial subsidies or tax credits based on their household income to purchase these plans. This change modifies the existing rules that previously restricted catastrophic plans primarily to those with higher incomes who were ineligible for premium assistance. The new eligibility rules will take effect for insurance plan years starting six months after the law is enacted.
The Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act allocates $190 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies to improve maternal health data collection and research during public health emergencies. This funding supports efforts to track how infectious diseases affect pregnant and postpartum individuals, with a specific focus on collecting and sharing detailed demographic information to address disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups. The bill also establishes a task force to develop guidelines for respectful maternity care, which includes recommendations on telehealth access, doula coverage, and addressing issues like racism and intimate partner violence in healthcare settings. Additionally, the legislation mandates that the government publicly release deidentified data on maternal health outcomes at least monthly during emergencies to help communities make informed decisions.
This bill establishes a voluntary short-term disability insurance program for federal employees to help replace lost wages during non-work-related injuries, family caregiving, childbirth, or adoption. The Office of Personnel Management would contract with private insurers to offer coverage that pays up to 70% of an employee's pay for a maximum of 12 months, with premiums paid entirely by the employee. The program includes protections such as no preexisting condition exclusions, preemption of state laws regarding coverage, and dispute resolution mechanisms for claim denials.
