Rep. Neal P. Dunn

Maddy summaryHR 3561, the PATIENT Act of 2023, requires hospitals, health insurance plans, and pharmacy benefit managers to publicly disclose detailed pricing information for healthcare services and drugs. Hospitals must publish standard charges for 300+ shoppable services, including gross charges, payer-specific negotiated rates, and discounted cash prices, with updates required annually. Health plans must provide real-time information on in-network rates, cost sharing, deductibles, and prior authorization requirements for covered services. The bill establishes enforcement mechanisms, including civil monetary penalties for non-compliance, with fines ranging from $300 per day for small hospitals to $5 million for large hospitals that fail to comply with the transparency requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 3285, the Fairness for Patient Medications Act, requires health insurance plans and pharmacy benefit managers to limit patient cost-sharing for "highly rebated drugs" (drugs where manufacturers rebate over 50% of annual spending). Starting January 2025, plans must cap out-of-pocket costs per 30-day supply at 1/12 of the drug’s net price (after rebates), calculated annually. The bill also prohibits hidden discounts from drug manufacturers when plans add previously excluded drugs to coverage, requiring price reductions to be visible at checkout or limited to flat service fees. This directly affects health insurance plans, insurers, and pharmacy benefit managers managing prescription drug coverage.

Maddy summaryHR 3129, the Health Care Fairness for All Act, repeals the individual and employer health insurance mandates established under the Affordable Care Act. The bill provides states with increased flexibility to regulate health insurance outside of health insurance exchanges while maintaining certain consumer protections like coverage for pre-existing conditions and dependent coverage through age 26. It introduces a new health insurance tax credit to help individuals afford coverage and changes Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to be non-deductible. The bill also includes Medicare reforms such as promoting site-neutral payments and extending acute hospital care at home programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill regulates pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) working with Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. It prohibits PBMs from earning income based on drug prices or rebates (requiring flat fees instead), mandates equal reimbursement for all network pharmacies, and requires PBMs to report how much of drug rebates they pass through to Medicare plans. The law also mandates annual compliance certifications and requires the government to publish aggregated transparency data (without revealing specific plan details) starting in 2024. These changes directly affect Medicare Part D plans and the seniors who rely on them for prescription drug coverage.

Maddy summaryHR 2474, the "Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act," changes how Medicare pays physicians for services. It replaces the previous two-part payment system (used through 2025) with a single annual payment rate update starting in 2024. This update will be based on the Medicare Economic Index (MEI), which tracks costs for medical providers. The change directly affects Medicare-certified doctors and clinics who receive payments under the physician fee schedule.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require Medicare to cover FDA-approved blood tests that screen for multiple cancers simultaneously (like breast, lung, or colorectal cancer) for beneficiaries. It directly affects Medicare recipients aged 65+ who could access these new screenings once per year, without prior authorization. The key provision adds "multi-cancer early detection screening tests" to Medicare's covered services under Part B, defining them as blood tests analyzing cell-free DNA, while maintaining existing coverage for standard screenings like mammograms. The bill does not change current coverage for individual cancer screenings but ensures Medicare keeps pace with new medical technology.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Medicare's rules for clinical laboratory testing to reduce administrative burdens. It requires the use of statistically valid sampling (instead of full reporting) for "widely available" tests - defined as tests costing under $1,000 per test with over 100 labs performing them - to determine payment rates starting in 2026. The bill also delays reporting deadlines until 2027, updates how labs are defined for payment purposes, and adds annual payment increase caps (2.5% for common tests in 2024-2025, rising to 5% by 2028). These changes directly affect Medicare-participating labs, particularly independent and hospital-based labs conducting common tests.

Maddy summaryThe Securing Maritime Data from Communist China Act prohibits the U.S. Department of Defense from entering into or renewing contracts with entities using a Chinese government logistics platform called LOGINK or similar platforms controlled by China. It also bans U.S. port operators and critical infrastructure from sharing data with LOGINK or comparable systems, effective two years after enactment. The bill requires the President to negotiate with key allies - including Japan, South Korea, Australia, and NATO members - to encourage them to stop using such platforms and counter China’s international efforts to spread them. A report to Congress must be submitted within one year detailing these negotiations and assessing potential impacts on military operations and commercial port activities.

Maddy summaryThe HELLPP Act (HR 1634) amends Medicaid to recognize doctors of podiatric medicine (podiatrists) as physicians, enabling them to be reimbursed for services under Medicaid starting January 1, 2024. It also clarifies Medicare’s documentation requirements for therapeutic shoes for people with diabetes, mandating specific written certifications from a managing physician and a podiatrist to confirm medical necessity. These changes directly affect patients with foot conditions, especially those with diabetes, by improving access to podiatrist-provided care and coverage for therapeutic shoes. The bill includes a separate provision strengthening Medicaid program integrity through continuous levies on provider payments, but this does not alter patient coverage. All key provisions take effect on January 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Medicare coverage for hereditary cancer prevention and management. It requires Medicare to cover genetic testing for individuals with a personal or family history of hereditary cancer mutations, as defined by evidence-based guidelines from organizations like the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. The bill also mandates coverage for risk-reducing surgeries (like mastectomies or oophorectomies) when medically appropriate, and increases the frequency of recommended cancer screenings (such as mammograms, colonoscopies, and breast MRI) to at least annually for those with confirmed hereditary cancer gene mutations. These changes apply to Medicare beneficiaries with specific hereditary cancer risk factors, effective upon the bill's enactment.