Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán

Maddy summaryThe WISE Act of 2023 aims to remove barriers for immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other crimes who are eligible for protections under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). Key provisions include reforming U visa eligibility to include civil violations related to abuse, eliminating annual U visa caps, and automatically granting work authorization to applicants within 180 days of filing. The bill also prohibits detention of these survivors while their applications are pending and expands protections for battered spouses, children, and abused derivative aliens seeking immigration relief. This directly affects non-citizen victims of violence who are navigating complex immigration processes to remain safely in the United States.

Maddy summaryHR 5008, the HEAL for Immigrant Families Act of 2023, would remove immigration status as a barrier to health insurance coverage for immigrants in the United States. The bill would make all lawfully present immigrants, including those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, eligible for Medicaid, CHIP, and Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies. It would eliminate state-level restrictions on Medicaid eligibility for immigrants and allow individuals with federally authorized presence to access premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions. This legislation aims to address health coverage disparities that disproportionately affect immigrant communities, particularly Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other communities of color.

Maddy summaryThe Lowering Drug Costs for American Families Act expands Medicare's drug price negotiation program from 20 to 50 drugs, allowing the government to negotiate lower prices for these medications. It requires private health insurance plans and group health coverage to apply these negotiated prices to their members' cost-sharing for covered drugs, with plans able to opt out while publicly disclosing their decision. The bill also extends these negotiated prices to drugs covered by commercial insurance markets, not just Medicare. This would directly affect Medicare beneficiaries and people with private health insurance who take the negotiated drugs.

Maddy summaryThe 9-8-8 Implementation Act of 2023 establishes a national mental health crisis response system centered around the 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline. It provides $441 million for call center technology, staffing, and operations, and requires Medicare, Medicaid, and private health plans to cover crisis response services including mobile crisis teams and crisis stabilization facilities. The bill also mandates a national suicide prevention media campaign and creates protocols for 9-1-1 dispatchers to better respond to mental health crises. These provisions aim to improve access to mental health crisis care across the United States.

Maddy summaryThe Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act would require Medicare to cover custom-made breast prostheses for women who have undergone mastectomies, directly affecting Medicare beneficiaries and influencing private insurance coverage practices. Currently, Medicare denies coverage for these prostheses as "not medically necessary" while covering surgical breast reconstruction, creating a gap that disproportionately impacts older and minority women. The bill amends Medicare’s coverage rules to explicitly include custom breast prostheses under the same category as other body part prostheses. This change would address the lack of access to a common, less invasive alternative to surgery for over 100,000 women undergoing mastectomies annually.

Maddy summaryHR 4752 (the CHANGE Act of 2023) requires Medicare to include standardized cognitive impairment screening during annual wellness visits and initial preventive physical exams for beneficiaries starting in 2024. It mandates doctors use National Institute on Aging-approved tools to detect memory issues and document results in medical records. This directly affects Medicare patients aged 65+ and their healthcare providers, aiming to enable earlier Alzheimer’s diagnosis and care planning. The bill focuses on making routine screenings a standard part of Medicare-covered checkups, not on funding or new programs. It does not alter existing Medicare benefits but adds a specific screening requirement to two existing service categories.

Maddy summaryThe Social Security 2100 Act would significantly enhance Social Security benefits for millions of Americans by increasing monthly payments for retirees, disabled workers, widows/widowers, and children. Key provisions include raising the minimum benefit for long-term low earners, improving cost-of-living adjustments using a more accurate index, eliminating the 5-month waiting period for disability benefits, and extending child benefits to age 26. The bill also changes how Social Security taxes are calculated by applying them to income above $400,000 and establishes a unified Social Security Trust Fund to manage program finances. Most provisions would apply to benefits payable from 2025 through 2034, affecting all current and future Social Security beneficiaries.

Maddy summaryThe PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2023 requires private health insurance plans, Medicare, Medicaid, and other public health programs to cover pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention without cost-sharing, including the medication, related lab tests, and follow-up care. The bill also prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurance companies from denying coverage or charging higher premiums to people taking PrEP. It establishes public education campaigns to increase awareness of PrEP and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) and creates funding for state and community programs to expand access to HIV prevention services, particularly for populations disproportionately affected by HIV including Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and transgender individuals. The legislation specifically addresses current disparities in PrEP access, as data shows only 11% of Black/African American and 21% of Hispanic/Latinx individuals eligible for PrEP received prescriptions in 2022 compared to 82% of White individuals. Coverage requirements for most plans will take effect on January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThe Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act (HR 4363) establishes new Medicare and Medicaid coverage for cancer care planning and coordination services, requiring personalized survivorship care plans for cancer survivors from diagnosis through the end of life. The bill creates a demonstration program to test different models of survivorship care, including navigation services to help survivors transition from cancer treatment to ongoing care, and mandates Medicaid coverage for cancer fertility services. It also establishes a comprehensive cancer survivorship program with resource centers for survivors and health care providers, and includes provisions to help cancer survivors overcome employment barriers and improve their quality of life through physical activity and mental health support. The legislation specifically addresses disparities in care for racial/ethnic minorities, lower socioeconomic groups, and rural populations who face unique challenges as cancer survivors.

Maddy summaryThe Abortion Justice Act of 2023 would establish $350 million in federal grants to support abortion access, including coverage for transportation, lodging, childcare, and direct care services. It would require health care facilities receiving federal funds to provide abortion care and mandate comprehensive coverage for abortion services in all health insurance plans, including Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance. The bill would also remove barriers for immigrants seeking abortion care, clarify privacy protections for reproductive health information under HIPAA, and prohibit immigration enforcement within 2,000 feet of health care facilities. These provisions would directly affect people seeking abortion care, health care providers, and immigrant communities across the United States.