[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2491 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2491
To require the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services and the Commissioner of Social Security to review and simplify
the processes, procedures, forms, and communications for family
caregivers to assist individuals in establishing eligibility for,
enrolling in, and maintaining and utilizing coverage and benefits under
the Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Social Security programs
respectively, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 31, 2025
Mrs. Cammack (for herself, Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Wittman, Ms.
Wasserman Schultz, Ms. Ross, Mr. Soto, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Van Drew, Ms.
Davids of Kansas, Mr. Langworthy, Mr. Gottheimer, Mrs. Kiggans of
Virginia, Mr. Golden of Maine, Mr. Steube, Mr. Pfluger, Ms.
Malliotakis, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Case, and Ms. Omar)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and
Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services and the Commissioner of Social Security to review and simplify
the processes, procedures, forms, and communications for family
caregivers to assist individuals in establishing eligibility for,
enrolling in, and maintaining and utilizing coverage and benefits under
the Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Social Security programs
respectively, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers
Act'' or the ``ABC Act''.
SEC. 2. REVIEW OF MEDICARE, MEDICAID, CHIP, AND SOCIAL SECURITY TO
SIMPLIFY PROCESSES. PROCEDURES, FORMS, AND
COMMUNICATIONS.
(a) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
(2) CHIP.--The term ``CHIP'' means the Children's Health
Insurance Program established under title XXI of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.).
(3) Commissioner.--The term ``Commissioner'' means the
Commissioner of Social Security.
(4) Covered agencies.--The term ``covered agencies'' means
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Social
Security Administration.
(5) Covered officials.--The term ``covered officials''
means the Administrator and Commissioner.
(6) Covered programs.--The term ``covered programs'' means
Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the Social Security programs.
(7) Disability.--The term ``disability'' has the meaning
given such term in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102).
(8) Family caregiver.--The term ``family caregiver'' has
the meaning given the term in section 2 of the RAISE Family
Caregivers Act (42 U.S.C. 3030s note).
(9) Medicaid.--The term ``Medicaid'' means the Medicaid
program established under title XIX of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).
(10) Medicare.--The term ``Medicare'' means the Medicare
program established under title XVIII of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.).
(11) State.--The term ``State'' means any of the 50 States,
the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the
United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(12) Social security programs.--The term ``Social Security
programs'' means each of the following:
(A) The programs for old-age and survivors
insurance benefits and disability insurance benefits
established under title II of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.).
(B) The program for supplemental security income
benefits established under title XVI of such Act (42
U.S.C. 1381 et seq.).
(b) Review of Programs.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator and the Commissioner
shall jointly conduct a review of the eligibility determination
and application processes, procedures, forms, and
communications of Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the Social
Security programs.
(2) Goals of the review.--In conducting the reviews under
paragraph (1), the covered officials shall seek ways to--
(A) simplify and streamline policies and procedures
for determining eligibility for, enrolling in,
maintaining coverage in, and utilizing the full
benefits available under the covered programs;
(B) reduce the frequency of family caregivers
having to--
(i) provide the same information to covered
agencies more than once;
(ii) complete--
(I) multiple documents for each
covered agency; or
(II) documents requesting the same
or similar information for multiple
covered agencies; or
(iii) provide information to the covered
agencies that--
(I) the covered agencies already
have; or
(II) the covered agencies can
easily receive from other Federal
agencies; and
(C) make it easier for family caregivers to work
with the covered agencies and the State agencies
responsible for administering State Medicaid and CHIP
plans by--
(i) providing information on eligibility
for, enrollment in, maintaining coverage in,
and utilizing the full benefits available under
the covered programs to family caregivers;
(ii) improving communications between
family caregivers and employees of covered
agencies by--
(I) decreasing call wait times;
(II) ensuring that employees of
covered agencies and the State agencies
responsible for administering State
Medicaid and CHIP plans provide timely
answers to the questions of family
caregivers;
(III) improving the websites of the
covered programs--
(aa) by making it easier
for family caregivers to find
information regarding benefit
availability, eligibility, and
how to maintain coverage; and
(bb) by designing such
websites to align with the
requirements of the Americans
with Disabilities Act (42
U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) regarding
web design;
(IV) improving the timely access to
in-person appointments or meetings
between employees of covered agencies
and family caregivers;
(V) providing translation or
interpretation services for family
caregivers for whom English is not
their primary language; and
(VI) providing information to
family caregivers in accessible
formats, including formats compatible
with American Sign Language and
multiple languages;
(iii) ensuring that employees of covered
agencies and the State agencies responsible for
administering State Medicaid and CHIP plans
understand how the covered programs can help
family caregivers;
(iv) improving the relationship between
family caregivers and the covered agencies and
the State agencies responsible for
administering State Medicaid and CHIP plans,
which may include regularly meeting with family
caregivers, individuals entitled to, receiving
services from, or filing for, 1 or more of the
covered programs, and other stakeholders of the
covered programs;
(v) ensuring that employees of covered
agencies and the State agencies responsible for
administering State Medicaid and CHIP plans who
are responsible for resolving disputes,
appeals, and grievances within the covered
programs receive education, training, and
guidance on specific issues faced by family
caregivers who participate in the covered
programs; and
(vi) taking other actions the covered
officials may identify.
(3) Input from family caregivers, organizations, and state
entities.--In conducting the reviews under paragraph (1), the
covered officials shall seek input from--
(A) family caregivers, including family caregivers
with a disability, that have interacted with the
covered programs;
(B) State, regional, national, and Tribal
organizations representing or working with family
caregivers or individuals receiving care from family
caregivers; and
(C) State Medicaid and CHIP programs.
(c) Action.--After the reviews under subsection (b) have been
completed, the covered officials shall take actions that will simplify
and streamline policies and procedures that improve customer service
for individuals entitled to, receiving services from, or filing for,
any of the covered programs, and family caregivers.
(d) Report to Congress.--
(1) In general.--No later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the covered officials shall each submit
a report to the Committee on Finance of the Senate, the
Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives,
and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives that details the results of the respective
reviews each covered official conducted under subsection (b).
(2) Contents of the report.--The reports required under
paragraph (1) shall contain--
(A) issues that the covered officials identified in
the reviews and their findings;
(B) the actions that the covered officials are
taking to address the issues in subparagraph (A);
(C) an estimate on when the actions in subparagraph
(B) will be completed;
(D) projected annual costs to implement the actions
identified in subparagraph (B); and
(E) any recommended change in Federal law to
address any issue identified in subparagraph (A).
(3) Updated reports.--The covered officials shall each
submit a report 2 years after submitting the report required
under paragraph (1) providing an update to the contents
identified in paragraph (2).
(4) Publication of the reports.--The covered officials
shall make the reports required under paragraphs (1) and (3)
publicly accessible on the websites of covered agencies.
(e) Reducing Red Tape for State Medicaid and CHIP Programs.--Not
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Administrator shall issue a letter to each State Medicaid and CHIP
Director to--
(1) encourage State Medicaid agencies to conduct reviews of
State Medicaid programs and State CHIP programs similar to the
reviews conducted at the Federal level under subsection (b);
(2) provide suggestions, informed by the results of such
Federal reviews, for promising practices that States could take
to reduce administrative burdens on family caregivers in
supporting individuals entitled to, receiving service from, or
filing for, 1 or more of the covered programs in applying for
and receiving assistance under State Medicaid programs and
State CHIP programs; and
(3) identify best practices to support family caregivers.
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