Rep. Thomas R. Suozzi

Maddy summaryThis bill extends Medicare payment adjustments for physicians and other practitioners through 2025 instead of ending in 2024. It specifically adds a 4.73% payment increase for services provided between January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026. The legislation modifies existing Medicare payment rules to stabilize practice revenues during transition periods. It directly affects doctors and healthcare providers who bill Medicare for patient services. The key change is the extended timeframe and the defined 4.73% rate for the 2025-2026 period.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Medicare Advantage plans to implement electronic prior authorization systems by 2027 and publish detailed data on their approval and denial rates for medical services by 2026. It directly affects Medicare Advantage plans (private insurers offering Medicare coverage) and their enrollees (seniors 65+), mandating transparency about prior authorization decisions, processing times, and appeal outcomes. Key provisions include requiring plans to report annual statistics on request approvals/denials, average processing times, and use of technology, with this data published publicly by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The bill also sets timelines for plan responses to prior authorization requests and mandates reports to Congress on implementation and impacts.

Maddy summaryThe Essential Caregivers Act of 2024 requires nursing homes and similar facilities to allow residents to designate essential caregivers who provide emotional support or assistance with daily activities. During emergencies when regular visitation is restricted, facilities must permit at least one essential caregiver access to residents daily and cannot deny access without following specific procedures. Facilities may deny access for a maximum of 7 days during emergencies (or 14 days with state approval), and must provide a written explanation and appeal process if access is denied. The bill establishes a 48-hour appeal process for residents and caregivers to challenge denials, with facilities required to prove violations during appeals. This law applies to Medicare skilled nursing facilities, Medicaid nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, and certain inpatient rehabilitation facilities.

Maddy summaryHR 8124, the Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act of 2024, expands U.S. sanctions against Chinese officials and entities responsible for human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The bill adds specific abuses like forced sterilization, forced abortion, and forced organ harvesting to the sanctions criteria, and denies U.S. entry to individuals complicit in these acts. It authorizes physical and psychological support for victims of these abuses who reside outside China, and requires documentation of atrocities in Xinjiang through evidence collection and investigation support. The bill also includes provisions to counter Chinese propaganda about the situation in Xinjiang and prohibits U.S. government contracts with entities involved in forced labor or human rights abuses.

Maddy summaryHR 8018, the ABC Act, requires Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Social Security Administration to review their eligibility processes, forms, and communications to simplify interactions for family caregivers. It targets reducing duplicate paperwork, improving website accessibility (including ADA compliance), and enhancing staff communication - such as shorter call waits and multilingual support - to better serve caregivers supporting individuals enrolled in these programs. The review must include input from caregivers and organizations, with results reported to Congress within one year. This procedural bill does not change program benefits but mandates systemic improvements to reduce administrative burdens.

Maddy summaryHR 7681, the Primary and Virtual Care Affordability Act, extends the telehealth services exemption in tax law until January 2027 (previously expiring in 2025) and creates a new rule allowing high deductible health plans (HDHPs) to not charge deductibles for certain primary care services. The bill specifically exempts primary care visits from general practitioners, pediatricians, nurses, and physician assistants (as defined by law) from triggering HDHP deductible requirements through 2023. This directly affects HDHPs, primary care providers, and patients using these services by potentially lowering out-of-pocket costs for routine care. The bill also requires a study tracking how the policy impacts plan design, premiums, and healthcare utilization, with reports due to Congress within a year of enactment.

Maddy summaryThe Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024 extends Medicare's temporary telehealth coverage rules permanently, removing the previous 2024 expiration date. It expands who can provide telehealth services by allowing more healthcare professionals (like certain nurse practitioners) to bill Medicare for these services, and ensures Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics can continue billing for telehealth under existing payment rules after 2024. The bill also explicitly permits audio-only telehealth calls for Medicare coverage and allows telehealth for hospice face-to-face visits and home dialysis assessments as clinically appropriate, without time limits. These changes directly affect Medicare beneficiaries, healthcare providers, and community health centers offering telehealth services.

Maddy summaryHR 7311, the *Combatting International Drug Trafficking and Human Smuggling Partnership Act of 2024*, amends the Homeland Security Act to expand U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authority for overseas operations. It allows CBP officers to conduct joint operations with foreign governments to monitor, locate, and deter the trafficking of illegal drugs, human smuggling, terrorist threats, and other security risks entering the U.S. The bill also authorizes CBP to pay claims arising from these operations in foreign countries, using existing funds. This directly affects CBP and foreign governments partnering with the U.S. on border security efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Medicare to provide clear outreach and education so Medicare beneficiaries (enrolled in Part A, Part B, or Medicare Advantage plans) can authorize family caregivers to access their health information via 1-800-MEDICARE. It mandates the inclusion of a specific authorization form (CMS-10106) in Medicare notices and on Medicare.gov, along with training for call center staff. The Secretary must also share best practices to prevent fraud related to caregiver access and make materials available in non-English languages. It directly affects beneficiaries, their family caregivers, healthcare providers, and Medicare call center operators.

Maddy summaryHR 7292, the Health ACCESS Act, amends the Social Security Act to establish new rules for healthcare information platforms (like online provider directories). It prohibits these platforms from steering patients toward specific providers based on payment, making medical claims, sharing patient contact details without consent, arranging transportation, or sending unsolicited marketing. The bill requires platforms to disclose financial arrangements with providers, base provider information on objective criteria, and set compensation terms in advance that don't exceed fair market value or tie to services paid by federal health programs. This directly affects healthcare information service providers and the providers/suppliers using their platforms.