Rep. Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.

Maddy summaryThe CARE for Moms Act aims to reduce maternal mortality in the United States by improving healthcare access and quality for pregnant and postpartum women, with specific attention to racial disparities. Key provisions include requiring 12-month continuous Medicaid coverage for postpartum individuals (up from 60 days), expanding oral health coverage during pregnancy, and funding State-Based Perinatal Quality Collaboratives through $35 million annual grants. The bill specifically targets the higher maternal mortality rates faced by Black women, who are about 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. It also includes provisions for doula services, rural mobile health units, and improved data collection on maternal health outcomes.

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 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 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.

Maddy summaryThe ARC Act of 2023 establishes a national program to address peripheral artery disease (PAD), which disproportionately affects minority populations and leads to avoidable amputations. The bill requires Medicare and Medicaid to cover PAD screening tests (such as ankle-brachial index testing) for at-risk beneficiaries without cost-sharing, including people 65+ or those with diabetes, smoking history, or other risk factors. It authorizes $6 million annually for a CDC-led education program to inform healthcare providers and the public about PAD prevention and treatment. The bill also creates quality measures to encourage alternative treatments to amputation and establishes a pilot program to test amputation prevention services at healthcare facilities. These provisions aim to reduce amputation rates and improve outcomes for millions of Americans with PAD.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act of 2023, amends Social Security to better protect public servants who work in jobs not covered by Social Security (such as certain government positions). It creates a new formula for calculating retirement benefits that combines both covered and noncovered earnings, ensuring public servants receive the higher of two benefit calculations. The bill also provides an additional $150 monthly payment for certain public servants whose benefits were previously reduced by the windfall elimination provision. It improves Social Security account statements to clearly show noncovered earnings and requires a study of how state retirement plans handle these benefits. These changes will apply to benefits starting in 2025.

Maddy summaryThe LIFT the BAR Act removes barriers preventing lawfully present noncitizens from accessing federal benefits like food assistance, Medicaid, and school meals. It repeals specific 1996 welfare law provisions that excluded noncitizens and updates terminology to replace "alien" with "noncitizen" throughout federal law. The bill expands eligibility to include noncitizens in categories such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, individuals with special immigrant juvenile status, and those with pending U-visa applications. This change ensures more noncitizens lawfully present in the U.S. can access essential services without being denied based on immigration status.