HR 7106, the Enhancing Skilled Nursing Facilities Act, modifies Medicare and Medicaid rules to expand which healthcare providers can deliver services in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) without direct physician supervision. The bill updates existing law to allow nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists (working under state law) to perform roles previously restricted to physicians, such as certifying care, supervising residents, and maintaining clinical records. This directly affects SNFs, Medicaid/Medicare providers, and state licensing authorities, as it changes certification and supervision requirements for facility services. The key mechanism is replacing "physician" with broader provider categories in multiple sections of the Social Security Act, while requiring compliance with state practice laws.
HR 2437, the EASE Act of 2025, requires hospitals to provide specific information about available care options to Medicare patients upon discharge. The bill amends the Social Security Act to mandate that hospitals inform patients likely to need home health services, post-hospital extended care, or hospice care about the availability of those services through participating providers in their area. This applies to Medicare discharges occurring on or after January 1, 2026. The law directly affects Medicare beneficiaries discharged from hospitals who may require these specific post-discharge care services.
The Care for Military Kids Act of 2025 requires states to treat military-connected children and dependents as residents of their new state for Medicaid eligibility when relocating due to active duty service, effective January 1, 2028. It ensures these families maintain their place on home care service waiting lists after relocation without needing to restart eligibility processes. The bill mandates states to cover medical assistance for these families in their new state and preserves their waiting list status until a service slot becomes available or they opt out. Implementation funding of $1 million annually (2026-2030) supports this policy change.
This bill allows seniors to use tax-free health savings account (HSA) funds for qualified home care services. It defines "qualified home care" as contracts providing three or more specific personal care services (like assistance with bathing, dressing, or medication) from state-licensed providers. The policy change directly affects seniors needing home care who use HSAs, excluding family-provided care and requiring state licensing compliance. A public awareness campaign will also inform seniors about eligible services.
S 3271, the In-Home CARE Act, establishes a federal grant program to support family caregivers of individuals with chronic health conditions, disabilities, or functional limitations who receive care at home. The bill authorizes 3-year competitive grants for eligible organizations (like local agencies, healthcare entities, or nonprofits) to provide home visiting services that assess caregivers' needs, offer evidence-based education (e.g., on medication management, fall prevention, or mental health support), and connect caregivers to resources like respite care or home modifications. These grants require grantees to conduct initial assessments, deliver targeted training, and coordinate with existing programs like the National Family Caregiver Support Program. The goal is to help caregivers better support their loved ones at home, potentially reducing hospitalizations and institutional care while improving quality of life for both caregivers and care recipients.
The Families Care Act amends the Older Americans Act to improve support for family caregivers. It adds peer support services alongside counseling for caregivers and requires states to specifically consider the needs of children caring for older relatives affected by substance use disorders, including opioid addiction. The bill also changes reporting requirements so the Assistant Secretary must regularly publish and disseminate program information instead of making it available by specific deadlines. This directly affects family caregivers, particularly those navigating complex situations involving elder care and substance use. The changes aim to make support services more responsive to diverse caregiver circumstances.
HR 4313, the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act, extends Medicare's waiver allowing acute hospital care at home until 2030 (previously expiring in 2025). It requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a detailed study by September 2028 comparing home-based hospital care to traditional inpatient care. The study must analyze quality metrics (like readmission rates and patient outcomes), costs, staffing patterns, and patient demographics - including racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic data - across participating and non-participating hospitals. This bill directly affects Medicare beneficiaries receiving home-based care and hospitals operating under the waiver program.
S 1974 (the ABC-ED Act of 2025) requires hospitals to track real-time emergency department bed capacity and boarding rates using modernized public health data systems, with grant funding to support this. It also creates a Medicare pilot program testing improved emergency care for older adults (through staffing, infrastructure, and geriatric protocols) and for psychiatric crisis patients (via dedicated units and faster transfers to post-acute facilities). The bill mandates a study by the Comptroller General to evaluate best practices for these data systems and their impact on emergency department wait times, boarding rates, and EMS offload times. The study must be completed within one year of enactment and reported to Congress. This bill directly affects hospitals, emergency departments, and post-acute care facilities (like skilled nursing homes) through new data requirements and pilot program participation.
This bill adds Medicare coverage for "preventive home visits" to assess home safety and health risks for eligible beneficiaries. It requires Medicare to pay 100% of the cost for these visits - conducted by qualified professionals at least once every two years - to identify fall risks, improve mobility, and provide referrals for home modifications or nutrition support. The visits can be in-person, remote, or combined, and must focus on reducing physical risks like falls. The policy applies to Medicare beneficiaries starting January 1, 2027, and defines specific visit requirements in Medicare law.
HR 6592 redefines Medicaid-covered "private duty nursing" as "continuous skilled nursing services" for complex-care patients requiring multiple hours of daily nursing care (as determined by states), mandating these services be provided by licensed nurses (RNs or LPNs). It requires the Secretary to develop national quality standards for these services through a stakeholder working group, to be published within one year. The bill also updates Medicaid waiver services and quality measures to include continuous skilled nursing services, with standards reviewed every eight years. This directly affects complex-care Medicaid beneficiaries and their nursing providers across all states.
