Sen. Shelley Moore Capito

Maddy summarySRES 166 is a symbolic Senate resolution honoring the U.S. Coast Guard for its maritime border security work. It recognizes the Coast Guard's 2022 achievements, including interdicting over 330,000 pounds of narcotics, intercepting 12,500 illegal immigrants, and patrolling over 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline. The resolution expresses the Senate's gratitude to Coast Guard personnel for their "exemplary service" in safeguarding borders. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws, funding, or policy changes.

Maddy summaryS 2499 extends the authorization period for the Department of Homeland Security's chemical facility security program from 2023 to 2025. This procedural bill does not change existing security requirements but ensures the current program continues operating under its established framework. The program directly affects chemical facilities handling hazardous materials, which must comply with security standards to prevent terrorist attacks. The bill's sole change is updating the program's expiration date in law, maintaining the same security protocols without new mandates.

Maddy summarySCONRES 2 is a symbolic congressional resolution commending Iranian protesters who risked their safety to demonstrate against the Iranian regime's human rights abuses, particularly following the death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest by morality police for alleged hijab violations. It specifically highlights protests in over 133 cities where demonstrators, including women removing headscarves, have faced violent crackdowns, with reports of over 500 deaths and 19,000 arrests. The resolution condemns the regime's brutality, supports internet freedom tools to bypass censorship, and urges the administration to impose human rights sanctions on officials responsible for repression. As a non-binding resolution, it expresses congressional support for protesters but does not enact new laws or policies.

This resolution recognizes the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Department of Defense State Partnership Program and its outsized influence in developing and supporting enduring relationships around the world. The resolution also expresses deep gratitude for the service of members of the National Guard to the program.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires most health insurance plans to cover diagnostic and supplemental breast exams with no out-of-pocket costs (like deductibles or copays) for enrolled individuals. It directly affects people needing these exams, including those with abnormalities found in screenings or those at higher risk due to personal/family history. The law allows plans to still require prior authorization for these exams and does not override stricter state laws protecting coverage. The requirement applies to all group and individual health plans, including grandfathered plans and high-deductible plans with health savings accounts, starting January 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryS 2477 (Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act) expands Medicare Part B coverage to include specific pharmacist services previously only covered when provided by physicians. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries and pharmacists by allowing coverage for services like evaluating patients for COVID-19, flu, or respiratory illnesses, and addressing public health emergencies - provided pharmacists are licensed or operating under federal emergency authority. The bill establishes payment at 80% of the lesser of actual charge or 85% of physician payment rates (100% during federal emergencies) and prohibits balance billing for these services. It also clarifies that existing Medicare enrollment pathways for pharmacists remain available. This bill modifies Medicare Part B coverage under the Social Security Act without restricting current pharmacy reimbursement options.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Medicare coverage for obesity treatment. It allows more healthcare providers - including nurse practitioners, dietitians, and clinical psychologists - to offer intensive behavioral therapy for obesity, with requirements for coordination with primary care physicians. It also adds Medicare Part D coverage for FDA-approved medications used to treat obesity or manage weight in adults with related health conditions (like diabetes or high blood pressure). These changes directly affect Medicare beneficiaries with obesity, aiming to improve access to proven treatment options. The bill requires annual reports to Congress on implementation progress.

Maddy summaryThe CHANGE Act of 2023 requires Medicare to include standardized cognitive impairment screening during annual wellness visits and initial preventive physical exams for beneficiaries starting in 2024. It mandates that doctors use National Institute on Aging-approved tools to detect early signs of dementia, documenting results in patient records. This directly affects Medicare beneficiaries (primarily seniors), healthcare providers, and the Medicare system by integrating routine dementia screening into standard preventive care. The bill aims to improve early diagnosis, enabling timely care planning and access to support services, as highlighted by findings showing Alzheimer's affects 6.7 million Americans and costs $345 billion annually.

Maddy summaryS 2372, the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, streamlines enrollment for out-of-state healthcare providers who treat Medicaid-eligible children under 21 with medically complex conditions. It requires states to adopt a process allowing these providers to join state Medicaid/CHIP programs without extra state-level screening, provided they already meet federal Medicare or home-state program requirements and pose low fraud risk. The bill establishes a 5-year enrollment period for eligible providers, directly affecting children needing specialized care across state lines and the providers serving them. Key provisions remove barriers to interstate care coordination while maintaining federal oversight standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a framework for qualifying news organizations to form groups to negotiate with large online platforms about fair payment for their content. It allows these groups to jointly deny platforms access to their content during negotiations and use binding arbitration to determine fair compensation based on the content's market value. The bill provides antitrust immunity for these negotiations, requires platforms to pay based on the value of news content rather than platform benefits, and includes transparency requirements for how funds support journalism. It defines specific eligibility criteria for news organizations and platforms, and sets a 6-year expiration for the law.