Rep. Steve Cohen

Maddy summaryThe Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2024 would expand dental coverage under Medicare and Medicaid by adding "oral health services" as a covered benefit. Starting in 2025, Medicare would cover 100% of preventive dental services and 80% of other services. Medicaid would require states to cover oral health services for adults (with some exceptions), including mobile dental services to overcome access barriers, and would increase federal funding for these services by 15 percentage points. The bill also creates new programs to expand the dental workforce through training, loan repayment, and partnerships with dental schools, with specific provisions for veterans, prisoners, and Indian Health Service.

Maddy summaryThe Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act creates a new Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E) to calculate Social Security cost-of-living adjustments, replacing the current index used for these calculations. It changes how high earners' income is counted for Social Security taxes and benefits, with a decreasing percentage (86% in 2025, decreasing annually to 0% after 2030) of income above the contribution base being counted. The bill also modifies how surplus earnings (income above the Social Security base) are included in benefit calculations, creating a new formula that includes 3% of surplus earnings up to a certain limit. These changes primarily affect Social Security beneficiaries and high-earning workers who reach retirement age after 2024, while ensuring any benefit increases won't impact eligibility for Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a process for Medicare to set payment rates for certain pediatric medical devices used in children's care. Manufacturers of qualifying pediatric technologies (devices approved by the FDA, covered under Medicare, and designed specifically for children or used predominantly in pediatric procedures) can request the Secretary to create national payment rates under the physician fee schedule. The Secretary must then set these rates using available data like claims or pricing information, with specific deadlines for processing requests (by May 1 for same-year implementation). This affects Medicare payments for these devices but does not change coverage requirements or guarantee payment for new technologies.

Maddy summaryThe Pharmacists Fight Back Act (HR 9096) sets new rules for Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs) working with federal health care programs like Medicare Part D and Medicaid. It requires PBMs to reimburse in-network pharmacies at a rate covering the drug's actual cost plus a small fee (capped at $25), and to reduce patient cost-sharing by at least 80% of rebates received from drug manufacturers. The bill bans PBMs from steering patients to specific pharmacies, charging patients more than pharmacies are paid, or using rebates to lower pharmacy payments after claims are processed. It also mandates public reporting of drug pricing data to improve transparency, ensuring patients and pharmacies receive fairer treatment under federal health programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill caps patient out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs under health insurance plans. It prohibits group health plans and insurers from requiring patients to pay more in deductibles, coinsurance, or copays for covered outpatient drugs dispensed at in-network pharmacies than the nationwide average consumer price for that drug (based on Social Security Act data). The law applies to all health insurance plans covered under the Public Health Service Act, ERISA, and Internal Revenue Code, directly affecting insured patients who fill prescriptions at participating pharmacies. The key mechanism ensures patient costs never exceed the national average drug price, using existing federal pricing data without creating new administrative requirements.

Maddy summaryThe PROVE IT Act of 2024 directs the U.S. Energy Secretary to study and publicly report on the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of key U.S. manufactured products (like steel, aluminum, lithium batteries, and critical minerals) compared to those produced in "covered countries" (including the EU, China, and major trading partners). It requires a transparent methodology for calculating emissions data, identifies gaps in existing data, and establishes a public online database showing U.S. emissions advantages for these products. The bill also mandates an annual report on foreign countries using forced labor or human rights abuses in the production of critical minerals or rare earths. Importantly, it clarifies the study does not create new taxes, fees, or mandatory reporting requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 8796, the "Stop Comstock Act," removes outdated restrictions from federal law that previously banned the distribution of materials related to contraception and abortion as "obscene" or "indecent." The bill amends Title 18 and the Tariff Act by deleting references to "indecent," "immoral," "unlawful abortion," and "procuring abortion" from provisions governing obscene materials. It clarifies that the law only prohibits "obscene materials" in commerce, eliminating broad restrictions on reproductive health information. This directly affects internet platforms, healthcare providers, and individuals sharing reproductive health resources by removing legal barriers to their distribution.

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 MEGOBARI Act directs the U.S. government to investigate and address democratic backsliding in Georgia. It requires reports within 90 days on Georgian corruption tied to Russian interests, sanctions evasion, and Russian intelligence assets, followed by potential sanctions against Georgian officials deemed responsible for undermining democracy or advancing Russian-style laws. The bill also establishes a U.S. democracy monitoring task force in Georgia and links additional U.S. aid - including trade negotiations, visa liberalization, economic packages, and defense support - to Georgia's progress toward fair elections and a free political environment. These provisions directly affect Georgia's government officials (who could face sanctions) and Georgia's eligibility for U.S. assistance. The bill does not impose new sanctions but mandates U.S. agencies to identify and sanction specific Georgian individuals under existing legal authorities.

Maddy summaryThe End Polluter Welfare Act of 2024 eliminates numerous subsidies and tax benefits for fossil fuel companies by repealing provisions that provide royalty relief, reducing royalty rates, and ending tax incentives for oil, natural gas, and coal production. The bill prohibits federal funding for fossil fuel projects by restricting international financial institutions, the Export-Import Bank, and the Department of Transportation from supporting fossil fuel infrastructure. It also repeals recent legislation that provided fossil fuel subsidies, including parts of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and Inflation Reduction Act. This comprehensive approach directly affects oil, gas, and coal producers by removing financial benefits that have historically supported the fossil fuel industry, while directing studies to identify and eliminate additional fossil fuel subsidies.