Rep. Kevin Hern

Maddy summaryThis bill requires drug manufacturers to pay rebates to Medicare when their "selected drugs" (cancer and complex therapies subject to negotiated maximum fair prices) are used. Manufacturers must calculate rebates based on the difference between current Medicare payment rates (ASP+6) and new negotiated rates (MFP+6), covering the gap for beneficiaries. This lowers patient coinsurance from the current 20% of ASP+6 to 20% of MFP+6 for these specific drugs during the negotiated price period. The rebates are paid to the Medicare trust fund and apply to Medicare Part B beneficiaries using these drugs, directly affecting drug manufacturers and patients covered under Medicare Part B.

Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2025 This bill expands Medicare coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity. Specifically, the bill allows coverage for therapy that is provided by (1) a physician who is not a primary care physician; or (2) other health care providers (e.g., physician assistants and nurse practitioners) and approved counseling programs, if provided upon a referral from, and in coordination with, a physician or primary care practitioner. Currently, such therapy is covered only if provided by a primary care practitioner. The bill also allows coverage under Medicare's prescription drug benefit of drugs used for the treatment of obesity or for weight loss management for individuals who are overweight.

Maddy summaryHR 4204, the Medicare Patient Choice Act, expands Medicare beneficiaries' ability to directly choose certain healthcare providers without requiring a physician referral. It updates Medicare rules to explicitly include physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and qualified audiologists as covered providers, replacing previous references to "physician or practitioner" throughout the law. This change allows beneficiaries to access these specific therapy services directly from qualified providers, removing prior barriers that often required a doctor's referral. The bill directly affects Medicare beneficiaries seeking these therapy services and the qualified professionals providing them. The key mechanism is amending the Social Security Act to expand the definition of covered providers within Medicare's existing framework.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the PAPA Act of 2025, restricts how aircraft tracking data (ADS-B) can be used and regulates fees on general aviation aircraft. It prohibits using ADS-B data to identify aircraft for revenue purposes without owner consent, allows its use only for air traffic safety by controllers, and extends this restriction to all government officials. For airport fees, it requires public disclosure of cost-saving efforts, alternative revenue sources, fee impact assessments, and specific safety project costs before imposing landing/takeoff fees on general aviation aircraft. All fees collected must be used exclusively for airside safety projects, not other airport expenses. The bill defines general aviation aircraft as those used for personal, recreational, training, or non-commercial purposes (excluding scheduled airlines and military flights).

Maddy summaryThe Apples to Apples Comparison Act of 2025 requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to publish detailed Medicare spending data starting in 2025. It mandates that CMS release machine-readable, county- and Metropolitan Statistical Area-level expenditure information for over 30 distinct beneficiary categories (e.g., Part A-only enrollees, Medicare Advantage members, and those with supplemental coverage) on its public website. The law also requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to analyze Medicare Advantage vs. traditional Medicare spending patterns beginning in 2026, with public methodology and data transparency. Additionally, the Medicare Trustees must include disaggregated expenditure data in their annual reports starting in 2026. This bill directly affects how CMS and federal agencies collect and share Medicare spending data, not beneficiaries' coverage or costs.

Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2025 This bill repeals provisions under the Stark law (i.e., the Physician Self-Referral Law) that limit, for purposes of Medicare participation, self-referrals by newly constructed or expanded physician-owned hospitals.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HRES 503) is a non-binding expression of support for designating June 11, 2025, as "World Franchise Day." It does not create new laws or directly affect any individuals or businesses; instead, it symbolically recognizes franchising's economic role. The resolution cites franchising's history (tracing to Benjamin Franklin and Isaac Singer), its current scale (830,876 U.S. establishments supporting 8.8 million jobs), and its contribution to the economy (nearly 3% of GDP). It is a procedural resolution, not a policy change, meant to acknowledge franchising's significance as a business model.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits federal health programs (including Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP) from using quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) or similar metrics to deny coverage, limit payments, or set incentives for care. It directly affects patients with disabilities, elderly individuals, or those with terminal illnesses, who may have faced reduced care access under such metrics. Key provisions ban QALY-based decisions in coverage determinations starting January 1, 2027, and require states and insurers to comply. The bill also mandates a report on how QALYs negatively impact access to care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Maddy summaryHR 3512, the Tackling Predatory Litigation Funding Act, imposes a new annual tax on funds received by third-party investors who finance lawsuits through litigation financing agreements. It directly affects investors (including foreign entities) who provide funding to plaintiffs or law firms in exchange for a share of settlement or judgment proceeds, excluding small agreements under $10,000 or standard loans. The tax equals the top individual income tax rate plus 3.8 percentage points, with 50% withheld from settlement payments by parties involved in the lawsuit. The law also clarifies that such funds cannot offset losses and excludes certain typical legal fee reimbursements from taxation. The provisions take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act of 2025 This bill provides for Medicare and Medicaid coverage of prescription digital therapeutics (i.e., software applications that are used to prevent, manage, or treat medical conditions). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must establish a Medicare payment methodology for payments to manufacturers that takes into account certain factors (e.g., ongoing use); manufacturers must report specified information about private payors, subject to civil penalties.