Rep. Paul Tonko

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 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 summaryThis bill expands Medicare coverage for cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs by updating who can prescribe these services. It allows physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists (in addition to physicians) to authorize these programs under Medicare, broadening access for patients. The changes apply to services starting January 1, 2024, and directly affect Medicare beneficiaries needing cardiac or lung rehabilitation care. The policy simplifies provider eligibility without creating new funding or altering program structure.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for registered nurses in hospital units (such as 1:1 in trauma units, 2:1 in critical care units, and 3:1 in emergency rooms), requiring hospitals to develop and maintain staffing plans that meet these standards. It mandates transparency in documenting staffing levels, ensures hospitals verify nurses' competence for specific units, and enforces compliance through Medicare and Medicaid programs with penalties for violations. The bill protects nurses who refuse unsafe assignments due to staffing concerns and includes initiatives to improve nurse retention and address staffing shortages. It directly affects hospitals, nurses, and patients by aiming to improve patient safety and care quality through standardized staffing requirements. The bill applies to all hospitals, with extended implementation timelines for rural facilities.

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 summaryHR 1795, the Homecare for Seniors Act, allows seniors to use funds from their Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to cover qualified home care services. It amends tax law to define "qualified home care" as contracts providing three or more specific personal assistance services (like help with eating, bathing, toileting, or medication) from a licensed provider. The bill directly affects seniors with HSAs who need in-home care, expanding their tax-free distribution options beyond traditional medical care. It also requires the federal government to run a public awareness campaign about these new eligible home care expenses. The changes apply to expenses paid after the bill's enactment date.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Medicare Part B coverage to include specific pharmacist services, directly affecting Medicare beneficiaries and pharmacists who provide these services. It adds new coverage for pharmacist evaluations and treatments related to certain illnesses (like COVID-19, flu, or strep throat) and public health emergencies, requiring payment at 80% of the lesser of actual charge or 85% of physician payment rates (100% during emergencies). The bill also prohibits balance billing for these services, ensuring beneficiaries pay only the standard Medicare copayment. These changes aim to improve access to pharmacist care during health crises while aligning payment with existing physician service frameworks.

Maddy summaryHR 1692, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2023, adjusts how health insurance subsidies are calculated for people buying coverage through the marketplace. It replaces the previous subsidy formula with a sliding scale based on income, where households earning up to 150% of the poverty line pay 0% of premiums, and those at 400% or more pay 8.5%. The change applies to all income tiers between these points, with percentages increasing incrementally (e.g., 2% for 150-200% income). This directly affects individuals purchasing health insurance through the marketplace who qualify for subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. The bill amends Section 36B of the Internal Revenue Code and takes effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022.

Maddy summaryHR 1666 extends deadlines for ambulance service reimbursement rules under Medicare. It amends Section 1834(l) of the Social Security Act by changing dates from 2025 to 2028 in two specific provisions: paragraph (12)(A) and paragraph (13)(A). This delay gives ambulance providers additional time to adjust to existing Medicare payment rules. The bill directly affects Medicare-certified ambulance services and the patients relying on ground ambulance care covered by Medicare.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases Medicare reimbursement for clinical social workers from 75% to 85% of the payment rate for psychologists under Part B. It also removes an exclusion that previously prevented skilled nursing facilities from billing Medicare for social worker services provided to residents. The bill expands covered services to include specific mental health assessments and interventions identified by HCPCS codes (like 96156, 96158-96161, etc.) for Medicare beneficiaries. These changes take effect for services provided on or after January 1, 2024, directly affecting Medicare patients and clinical social workers.