Rep. Donald G. Davis

Maddy summaryHR 3227, the Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act, amends Medicare and Medicaid rules to address nurse aide training programs in nursing facilities. It allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to disapprove a facility’s nurse aide training program for up to two years if the facility received a $10,697+ civil penalty for substandard care and hasn’t corrected the quality issues. Facilities can have disapproval lifted by proving they fixed the care deficiencies, haven’t had recent patient harm incidents, and the penalty didn’t involve immediate patient jeopardy. The changes apply only to penalties assessed after the bill’s enactment and do not affect facilities already prohibited under prior rules.

Maddy summaryThe Healthy Competition for Better Care Act (HR 3120) prohibits health insurance plans and issuers from including restrictive terms in contracts with providers that limit their ability to steer patients toward lower-cost, higher-quality care or offer incentives for specific providers. It bans clauses requiring additional contracts with provider affiliates, mandating payment rates for non-party affiliates, or restricting other plans from offering lower prices for the same services. Exceptions apply to certain health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and value-based networks like accountable care organizations. Self-insured plans must annually attest to compliance and disclose restrictive terms to enrollees. The bill does not affect existing privacy laws (HIPAA, GINA, ADA) and clarifies that compliance does not replace antitrust law requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes tax rules to treat direct primary care (DPC) membership fees as deductible medical expenses. It defines DPC as a fixed monthly fee (capped at $150 per person, $300 for families) for primary care services only, excluding procedures requiring anesthesia, prescription drugs (except vaccines), or lab tests. The law ensures these fees can be claimed on tax returns like other medical costs, while clarifying DPC arrangements aren’t considered health insurance plans. It applies to fees paid for DPC services provided through employment or directly to patients, effective for 2024 tax years.

Maddy summaryThe International Nuclear Energy Act of 2023 establishes a White House office to coordinate U.S. international nuclear energy policy and creates a Nuclear Exports Working Group to develop a 10-year strategy for promoting U.S. nuclear exports. It provides $50 million annually for five years to assist "embarking civil nuclear nations" (countries developing nuclear programs) with technical capacity building, financing, and regulatory framework development for civil nuclear energy projects. The bill also requires a biennial conference on nuclear safety, security, and sustainability, and includes provisions to support the development and export of U.S. small modular reactor technology. It aims to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in the global nuclear energy market while promoting nuclear safety standards and nonproliferation. The legislation requires coordination across multiple federal agencies to support U.S. nuclear energy exports to partner nations.

Maddy summaryThe PASTEUR Act establishes a new subscription payment model to incentivize development of new antimicrobial drugs for resistant infections. It creates a Committee on Critical Need Antimicrobials and a Subscription Contract Office to manage payments based on specific drug characteristics like treating multi-drug resistant infections, novel mechanisms of action, and oral administration. Under this model, the government would pay drug developers up to $3 billion over 10 years for qualifying drugs, with payments tied to requirements like ensuring drug availability, reporting resistance data, and developing appropriate use plans. The bill aims to address the lack of new antimicrobial drugs by changing the funding model to reward drugs that meet specific clinical and public health needs.

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 summaryThis bill eliminates copays and deductibles for Medicare Part B beneficiaries receiving chronic care management services starting January 1, 2024. It directly affects Medicare patients with chronic conditions who use these specific management services. The key provision amends Medicare payment rules to require 100% coverage for these services, removing both patient cost-sharing and the application of deductibles. This change applies only to services described under Section 1848(b)(8) of the Social Security Act.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new workplace violence prevention standard for healthcare and social service workers. It requires employers in covered facilities - including hospitals, nursing homes, mental health clinics, and social service settings - to develop and implement comprehensive prevention plans with specific requirements. These plans must include risk assessments, hazard prevention measures, employee training on violence prevention, and procedures for reporting and investigating violent incidents. The bill also amends Medicare regulations to require compliance with these standards for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities receiving Medicare funds.

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.