Rep. Victoria Spartz

Maddy summaryHR 3561, the PATIENT Act of 2023, requires hospitals, health insurance plans, and pharmacy benefit managers to publicly disclose detailed pricing information for healthcare services and drugs. Hospitals must publish standard charges for 300+ shoppable services, including gross charges, payer-specific negotiated rates, and discounted cash prices, with updates required annually. Health plans must provide real-time information on in-network rates, cost sharing, deductibles, and prior authorization requirements for covered services. The bill establishes enforcement mechanisms, including civil monetary penalties for non-compliance, with fines ranging from $300 per day for small hospitals to $5 million for large hospitals that fail to comply with the transparency requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 2914 extends the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) program, which helps low-income workers afford health insurance, through 2028. It amends the tax code to change the expiration date from January 1, 2022, to January 1, 2028, for the credit's eligibility period. This directly affects eligible individuals who purchase health coverage through the marketplace, allowing them to continue receiving the tax credit. The bill makes no changes to the credit amount or eligibility rules, only extends the program's operational period.

Maddy summaryHR 2863, the Preventing Hospital Overbilling of Medicare Act, requires hospitals with off-campus outpatient departments (clinics not on the main hospital campus) to bill Medicare using a separate unique identifier for those locations starting January 1, 2024. It eliminates exceptions that previously allowed hospitals to bill higher rates for services provided at these off-campus sites, mandating that all claims for such services use specific billing formats (HIPAA 837P or CMS 1500) with the new identifier. This directly affects hospitals operating off-campus clinics that serve Medicare patients, ensuring they cannot overbill Medicare by misclassifying these locations as on-campus services. The bill standardizes billing practices to prevent inaccurate charges and aligns with existing Medicare payment rules for off-campus care.

Maddy summaryThe Empowering Patient Choice of Medical Care Act allows more medical services to be provided in outpatient settings, such as clinics, rather than requiring hospital admission. Starting January 1, 2024, the government cannot deny outpatient status for a service solely based on the belief that it is safer in a hospital. This change removes a specific barrier that previously restricted certain services to inpatient settings under Medicare rules. The bill directly affects patients seeking more convenient care options and healthcare providers who deliver services outside hospitals.

Maddy summaryHR 2860, the "Restoring Rights of Physicians to Own Hospitals Act," removes restrictions preventing physicians from owning hospitals under specific circumstances. It amends Section 1877 of the Social Security Act to repeal requirements that barred physician ownership in rural healthcare settings and hospital exception programs. This change directly affects physicians seeking to own hospitals, particularly in rural areas where ownership was previously restricted. The bill’s key mechanism is the deletion of specific subsections (d)(2)(C), (d)(3)(D), and (i) that created these prohibitions. The policy change simplifies ownership rules for physicians without altering broader Medicare payment structures.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends IRS rules for tax-exempt nonprofit hospitals to require them to meet a new "community benefit standard." It directly affects hospitals receiving federal tax exemptions by mandating they: (1) have community-elected boards, (2) treat Medicare/Medicaid patients without patient limits, and (3) spend 100% of their tax exemption value annually on community services like free care, facility upgrades (capped at 50% of spending), or medical training. The bill also adds reporting requirements for hospitals and creates new annual reviews by the Treasury Inspector General and Comptroller General to monitor compliance. These changes apply to tax years starting after December 31, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Medicare rules to allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to document medical necessity for diabetic shoes, a requirement currently limited to physicians. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes who need these shoes and expands the pool of providers (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) who can fulfill the documentation requirement. The key change inserts "nurse practitioner, or physician assistant" into Medicare's documentation standards for diabetic shoe coverage. This simplifies access for patients by enabling more healthcare providers to support coverage approval without requiring a physician's signature. The bill does not change coverage eligibility or costs, only the documentation process.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends a temporary COVID-19 emergency waiver that allows nurse aides in training to count hours worked during the pandemic toward their certification requirements at nursing facilities. It specifically permits these hours to satisfy the 75-hour minimum training requirement and allows facilities to conduct competency evaluations on-site if states don’t offer them weekly. The waiver remains in effect for at least 24 months after enactment, with a requirement for the Secretary to study its continued appropriateness within one year. The policy directly affects nurse aides working in skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities under federal Medicare/Medicaid rules. It does not create new training programs but maintains pandemic-era flexibility for staffing.

Maddy summaryHR 5349, the "Crucial Communism Teaching Act," requires the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to develop a high school curriculum and oral history resources about communism. The bill directs this foundation to create materials for social studies, history, and government classes that teach students: (1) communism caused over 100 million deaths worldwide, (2) communism and similar ideologies pose dangers to democracy, and (3) 1.5 billion people still live under communist systems. The curriculum must include comparative discussions of political ideologies and feature personal stories from individuals who experienced communist regimes. This bill directly affects high school students and educators in public schools by mandating specific content for civic education.

Maddy summaryThe Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act (HR 807) directs the U.S. Treasury to mint three types of commemorative coins honoring working dogs' service: $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar coins with specific weight and composition requirements. Each coin will carry a surcharge ($35 for $5 coins, $10 for $1 coins, $5 for half-dollars) that will be paid directly to America's VetDogs to support their programs providing service dogs for veterans, the disabled, and others. The coins will be issued in 2027 with designs reflecting working dogs' roles in military, detection, therapy, and assistance work. The legislation specifies that all surcharge revenue must fund America's VetDogs' operations without creating new government programs. This is a commemorative measure focused on honoring working dogs' contributions through coin sales, with all surcharge funds going to a specific nonprofit organization.