Rep. Greg Landsman

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies state-administered self-employment assistance programs for unemployed individuals. It removes the requirement that participants must be likely to exhaust regular unemployment benefits before joining, and instead requires them to engage in approved entrepreneurial training, business counseling, or a state-approved business plan. Participants must also certify their ongoing participation weekly. The bill increases the maximum participation cap from 5% to 10% of unemployed individuals in these programs. These changes apply starting two years after enactment, with states allowed to adopt them earlier.

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 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 summaryThe "You Earned It, You Keep It Act" (HR 7084) establishes a $250,000 annual income threshold for Social Security taxes. Income above this threshold will no longer be subject to Social Security taxes but will still count toward Social Security benefits. This affects high earners who would have paid Social Security taxes on income above the current wage base. The bill also includes special rules for workers with multiple employers and applies to calendar years after 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill, HR 6860, protects patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESRD) who require dialysis by preventing health insurance plans from discriminating against them. It amends Medicare rules to prohibit plans from treating dialysis coverage differently than other medical services based on a patient’s ESRD diagnosis, need for dialysis, or any other factor. The bill clarifies that plans can still choose which dialysis providers to include in their networks but cannot deny or limit coverage for dialysis services solely because of the patient’s condition. It ensures Medicare remains the secondary payer for these services as intended, without forcing plans to cover specific providers.

Maddy summaryHR 6417 amends the existing "Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act" to ban imports of energy products (classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule chapter 27) produced at any refinery using crude oil originating in Russia. This directly affects U.S. importers and companies bringing in such refined petroleum products. The key provision prohibits these imports regardless of where the refinery is located, targeting oil that has been "laundered" through foreign processing. The bill updates the existing law by adding this origin-based import ban as a new section.

Maddy summaryHR 6407, the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2023, expands Medicare coverage to include medical nutrition therapy for more chronic conditions beyond current limits. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries with conditions like obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, eating disorders, and others not previously covered under Part B. The bill amends Medicare rules to allow coverage for prevention, management, or treatment of these conditions by a wider range of providers, including registered dietitians and clinical psychologists. This change would make medically necessary nutrition services available for conditions listed in the bill, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and HIV, as determined by the Secretary.

Maddy summaryThe ARCC Act provides $100 million in federal funding to help apprentices and pre-apprentices in job training programs cover childcare costs. It authorizes competitive grants to 10 states, which must distribute monthly stipends of at least $500 per dependent child directly to eligible childcare providers on behalf of participants in these programs. The bill prioritizes individuals from historically underrepresented groups (based on race, ethnicity, or gender) and ensures stipends are tax-free while not affecting eligibility for other federal benefits. States must report on participation, program completion rates, and demographic data, with the Secretary later summarizing program impacts for Congress.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Medicare physician payment rules to improve stability and accuracy. It raises the budget neutrality threshold from $20 million (pre-2025) to $53 million in 2025, with annual indexing after 2026, to prevent excessive payment adjustments. The bill requires the Medicare program to correct budget neutrality payments based on actual service utilization data (not estimates) starting in 2025, and mandates updating direct cost inputs (like staff wages and equipment prices) every 5 years. It also caps annual changes to the physician payment conversion factor at 2.5% to limit sudden payment shifts, directly affecting Medicare physicians and healthcare providers receiving these payments.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a Medicare buy-in option for retired or disabled first responders aged 50-64 who have lost employer health coverage. It allows them to enroll in Medicare Part A, B, and D (including prescription drug coverage) before age 65, with premiums calculated based on Medicare's average per-person costs. The coverage counts as "minimum essential coverage" under the Affordable Care Act, qualifying individuals for ACA premium tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies. It also establishes an oversight board and outreach grants to assist enrollment, while ensuring the program doesn't reduce benefits for existing Medicare beneficiaries or harm Medicare trust funds.