119-hr2491

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2491 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

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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