This bill provides continuing appropriations for federal government operations through October 31, 2025, ensuring that agencies can maintain essential services without interruption. It authorizes funding for departments including Defense, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, and Transportation, while extending specific programs like community health centers, Medicare services, and veterans' benefits. Key provisions include maintaining funding levels for existing programs, extending deadlines for various health and human services initiatives through October 2025, and providing specific amounts for programs like the WIC food assistance program. The bill also includes numerous extensions for programs that would otherwise expire, such as the National Health Service Corps and certain Medicare payment adjustments. This continuing resolution prevents government shutdowns by providing temporary funding until a full fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill can be enacted.
The Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2025 establishes a national program to eliminate hepatitis C virus in the United States by providing free treatment to people with hepatitis C who are in correctional facilities, enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP programs, receiving care through Indian Health Services, or without health insurance. The bill creates a subscription program where the Secretary of Health and Human Services will purchase and distribute hepatitis C treatments directly to covered populations without cost-sharing, while also establishing a national strategy, implementation plan, and public dashboard to monitor progress. It includes $5.5 billion for treatment access and $4.283 billion for public health activities like screening, diagnosis, and community outreach to improve hepatitis C treatment outcomes. The program requires participation from the Bureau of Prisons and Indian Health Service, and aims to coordinate care across health systems to eliminate hepatitis C virus.
This bill extends and increases federal funding for programs supporting seniors, specifically targeting low-income older adults. It allocates $15 million annually (fiscal years 2026-2030) for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs and Area Agencies on Aging, $5 million for Aging and Disability Resource Centers, and $15 million for coordinating benefits outreach. These funds directly support existing services that help seniors navigate health insurance, access benefits, and receive assistance with program enrollment. The bill makes no changes to eligibility or program structure, solely adding specified funding levels to current federal programs.
The ENROLL Act of 2025 modifies the Affordable Care Act's navigator program, which helps people enroll in health insurance. It requires states and federal exchanges to award grants based on an entity’s capacity to provide services, not whether they cover non-qualified health plans, and ensures at least one annual grant goes to community-focused nonprofits. The bill expands navigators’ duties to include explaining Medicaid and children’s health insurance programs (CHIP) in clear language, mandates in-person assistance options, and allocates $100 million annually from insurer user fees for federal exchanges starting in 2026. These changes directly affect navigators, health insurance exchanges, and consumers seeking coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
S 1847, the Association Health Plans Act, redefines how certain employer groups can form health insurance plans. It allows associations of employers (even across industries) or groups of self-employed individuals to create group health plans, provided they meet specific requirements: at least 51 total employees after aggregation, 2 years of existence, no health-based discrimination, and 75% employer control of the governing board. Self-employed individuals meeting work-hour and business criteria (e.g., 10+ hours/week) can join as both employers and plan participants. The bill requires plans to use community-based pricing (with limited employer-specific adjustments) and prohibits denying coverage or charging more due to health status or pre-existing conditions. This primarily affects small businesses, industry associations, and self-employed workers seeking affordable group health coverage.
HR 6420 (the ACCESS Act) defines and regulates "short-term limited duration insurance" (STLDI) as health coverage with a contract term under 12 months and total duration under 3 years, including renewals. The bill changes existing health care rules to allow STLDI to be marketed as a temporary coverage option during transitions like job changes, specifically for small businesses and workers needing flexible, affordable plans while avoiding full-year coverage requirements. This directly affects small business owners and employees seeking portable, low-cost health insurance during coverage gaps, without requiring the full benefits of standard plans.
This bill strengthens enforcement of the No Surprises Act by increasing penalties for health insurance plans and providers that violate balance billing rules, raising fines from $100 to $10,000 per violation. It also adds new penalties for late payments after Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) decisions, requiring plans to pay three times the difference plus interest for failing to make timely payments. The bill requires regular reporting to Congress about audits, enforcement actions, and penalties related to surprise billing violations. These changes directly affect health insurance companies, group health plans, and medical providers who don't participate in insurance networks.
S 3400, the Ally’s Act, requires most private health insurance plans and group health plans to cover hearing implants and related services for eligible individuals. It mandates coverage for cochlear implants, bone conduction devices, maintenance, repairs, upgrades every five years, hearing assessments, pre- and post-surgery care, and aural rehabilitation. Insurers cannot impose stricter cost-sharing or treatment limits for these services than for other medical care, and cannot deny coverage based on medical necessity determinations by a physician or audiologist. The law applies to plans covering individuals with hearing loss (including unilateral or bilateral) who meet medical criteria, effective for plan years starting January 1, 2026.
S 1164, the "Increasing Access to Dental Insurance Act," removes a barrier preventing people from purchasing standalone dental insurance through health insurance marketplaces. The bill amends the Affordable Care Act to prohibit the Secretary from blocking enrollment in dental plans offered via exchanges simply because a person isn't also enrolled in a separate health insurance plan. This change directly affects individuals seeking dental coverage who may not have comprehensive health insurance. The key mechanism is eliminating a prior restriction that required dental plan enrollment to be tied to a health insurance plan.
The ADAPT Act (S 2356) expands Medicare coverage to include services provided by advanced psychology trainees - such as doctoral interns and postdoctoral residents in APA-accredited programs - under the general supervision of a licensed clinical psychologist (without requiring the supervisor's physical presence during services). It mandates the creation of a new billing code (GC modifier) for these services and directs the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance to states on covering these services under Medicaid and CHIP. This bill directly affects trainees, Medicare beneficiaries, and state Medicaid programs by streamlining access to mental health care through standardized billing and coverage mechanisms.
