Rep. Derek Kilmer

Maddy summaryHR 6790 establishes National Institutes of Health centers to advance research, early detection, and public awareness of rare kidney diseases, with a focus on rural and underserved communities. It mandates a federal study on genetic testing barriers, treatment patterns, and public awareness for rare kidney diseases affecting disproportionately impacted populations, including barriers to insurance coverage and access to specialists. The bill also funds nephrology training programs to increase specialists serving these communities and requires experiments to delay or prevent the need for dialysis and transplants. Total funding of $7 million is authorized for fiscal years 2024-2028 to support these research, education, and early intervention efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Medicare coverage to include additional FDA-approved lung cancer screening tests beyond the current standard. It allows the Medicare program to cover new preventive screening tests for eligible beneficiaries, determined by the Secretary, with frequency and payment limits set by Medicare. The key mechanism updates Medicare's coverage rules to permit these new tests using the existing national coverage determination process, without requiring additional regulatory steps. This change directly affects Medicare beneficiaries who qualify for lung cancer screening, potentially increasing access to newer, evidence-based screening options. The bill applies to Part B Medicare coverage for screenings provided on or after its effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits health insurance plans from charging healthcare providers fees for electronic payments (EFTs) and payment advice transactions. It directly affects doctors, hospitals, and clinics that receive electronic payments from health plans by banning any charges, including withholdings, for these transactions. The law, effective January 1, 2024, amends the Social Security Act to require health plans to cover these costs themselves, eliminating fees for providers.

Maddy summaryThis bill simplifies participation in Medicare's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) program by removing distinctions between small and large ACOs and eliminating the requirement for new ACOs to assume financial risk for three years before joining shared savings models. It creates a new "100% shared savings" option where ACOs keep all savings from cost reductions but bear full financial responsibility for losses. The bill also mandates clearer, transparent benchmark calculations for ACO performance, establishes appeal processes for disputed benchmarks, and requires technical assistance for rural and underserved providers. These changes directly affect Medicare ACOs, particularly smaller or newer organizations in rural or safety-net settings, aiming to make value-based care participation more accessible.

Maddy summaryThe 9-8-8 Implementation Act of 2023 establishes a national mental health crisis response system centered around the 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline. It provides $441 million for call center technology, staffing, and operations, and requires Medicare, Medicaid, and private health plans to cover crisis response services including mobile crisis teams and crisis stabilization facilities. The bill also mandates a national suicide prevention media campaign and creates protocols for 9-1-1 dispatchers to better respond to mental health crises. These provisions aim to improve access to mental health crisis care across the United States.

Maddy summaryThe Social Security 2100 Act would significantly enhance Social Security benefits for millions of Americans by increasing monthly payments for retirees, disabled workers, widows/widowers, and children. Key provisions include raising the minimum benefit for long-term low earners, improving cost-of-living adjustments using a more accurate index, eliminating the 5-month waiting period for disability benefits, and extending child benefits to age 26. The bill also changes how Social Security taxes are calculated by applying them to income above $400,000 and establishes a unified Social Security Trust Fund to manage program finances. Most provisions would apply to benefits payable from 2025 through 2034, affecting all current and future Social Security beneficiaries.

Maddy summaryThis bill mandates an interagency review by the Department of Health and Human Services (with Defense and Veterans Affairs) to address lung cancer disparities affecting women. It requires a report evaluating research gaps, improving access to lung cancer screening (especially for underserved groups), and developing public awareness campaigns about early detection. The review will focus on factors like environmental exposures, genomic differences, and treatment responses specific to women, particularly those who never smoked. The report must be submitted to Congress within one year of enactment. This directly affects women at risk of lung cancer, including those with non-smoking-related cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act of 2023, amends Social Security to better protect public servants who work in jobs not covered by Social Security (such as certain government positions). It creates a new formula for calculating retirement benefits that combines both covered and noncovered earnings, ensuring public servants receive the higher of two benefit calculations. The bill also provides an additional $150 monthly payment for certain public servants whose benefits were previously reduced by the windfall elimination provision. It improves Social Security account statements to clearly show noncovered earnings and requires a study of how state retirement plans handle these benefits. These changes will apply to benefits starting in 2025.

Maddy summaryThe CONNECT for Health Act of 2023 aims to expand access to telehealth services under Medicare by removing barriers that previously limited who could provide these services and where they could be delivered. The bill eliminates geographic restrictions on telehealth coverage, allows telehealth services to be provided from the patient's home and other clinically appropriate locations, and expands the types of healthcare providers who can offer telehealth services. It also improves the process for adding new telehealth services to Medicare coverage and includes provisions to ensure quality measurement includes telehealth services. This legislation directly affects Medicare beneficiaries seeking remote care and healthcare providers delivering telehealth services, with key provisions taking effect between 2024 and 2025.

Maddy summaryThe LIFT the BAR Act removes barriers preventing lawfully present noncitizens from accessing federal benefits like food assistance, Medicaid, and school meals. It repeals specific 1996 welfare law provisions that excluded noncitizens and updates terminology to replace "alien" with "noncitizen" throughout federal law. The bill expands eligibility to include noncitizens in categories such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, individuals with special immigrant juvenile status, and those with pending U-visa applications. This change ensures more noncitizens lawfully present in the U.S. can access essential services without being denied based on immigration status.