Healthcare

in committee · United States · House Sep 8, 2025

HR 1510: Due Process Continuity of Care Act

HR 1510, the Due Process Continuity of Care Act, expands Medicaid eligibility to cover individuals in jail or custody while awaiting trial or disposition of charges, at a state's option. This allows states to provide Medicaid benefits to this population without requiring them to be convicted first. The bill provides $50 million in planning grants to states to develop implementation plans, including assessing healthcare needs, recruiting providers (especially for behavioral health and substance use treatment), and creating electronic billing systems for correctional facilities and outpatient providers. States must also consult with stakeholders like jails, providers, and Medicaid advocates before finalizing their plans.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands Medicaid access for pre-trial detainees to address healthcare needs, promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism - key criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands Medicaid to pre-conviction jail populations and provides $50M grants for healthcare implementation, advancing access and coverage.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Medicaid Mental Health

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in committee · United States · Senate Dec 11, 2025

S 3461: RISE from Trauma Act

The RISE from Trauma Act establishes grants for community coordinating bodies to address trauma and build resilience, particularly for children and youth affected by violence, substance use, or other traumatic experiences. These grants (up to $6 million each for 4 years) require diverse community stakeholders - including healthcare providers, schools, law enforcement, and community organizations - to collaborate on identifying local needs and developing trauma-informed strategies. The legislation prioritizes communities with high rates of overdose deaths, violence-related deaths, or involvement in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. It also expands existing programs like the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, creates hospital-based interventions to prevent readmissions after trauma events, and establishes training for schools, law enforcement, and healthcare providers in trauma-informed care. Funding is authorized at $600 million annually from 2026-2033 for these initiatives.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds trauma-informed community programs addressing violence/trauma (a root cause of crime), involving law enforcement in collaborative prevention strategies to reduce recidivism.92% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires healthcare provider collaboration in trauma programs, advancing mental health services for youth through federal grants90% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice Law Enforcement Hospitals Substance Abuse

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in committee · United States · Senate Dec 8, 2025

S 3388: SERVE Act

The SERVE Act requires the Department of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) to create facility-specific action plans improving coordination between military and VA medical systems. These plans mandate cross-credentialing doctors to work across both systems, designated coordinators at each facility, and integrated IT systems for seamless medical records sharing. The law directly affects enrolled VA patients living near military medical facilities with unused capacity, aiming to increase their access to care at those locations. It includes annual reporting to Congress on implementation progress, patient safety, and costs, with the law set to expire in 2028.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates cross-credentialing, coordination, and integrated records to improve access for VA patients near military facilities, directly advancing healthcare coordination and patient access.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill mandates improved coordination between VA and military healthcare systems, cross-credentialing, and integrated records to enhance veteran access to care near military facilities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing National Guard & Reserve Veteran Benefits Veteran Healthcare

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in committee · United States · Senate Dec 2, 2025

S 3299: DSH in Tennessee Act

S 3299, the "DSH in Tennessee Act," permanently restores federal funding for hospitals in Tennessee that serve many low-income patients, directly affecting those hospitals. For fiscal year 2026, it sets Tennessee's funding level equal to its 2015 amount, adjusted annually for inflation using the consumer price index. Starting in 2027, Tennessee will be treated as a "low DSH state," receiving annual funding increases based on the same inflation adjustment used for similar states. This bill specifically changes how Tennessee's Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) funding is calculated and allocated.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRestores federal hospital funding for low-income patients, sets permanent inflation-adjusted budget levels for healthcare services, directly advancing public health funding within state fiscal management.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRestores federal DSH funding for hospitals serving low-income patients, ensuring continued healthcare access for vulnerable populations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Medicaid

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in committee · United States · House Mar 21, 2025

HRES 238: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that every person has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care.

HRES 238 is a non-binding House resolution expressing the House's position that every person has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care during medical emergencies. It does not create new laws or alter existing regulations but formally states the House's view that abortion restrictions in emergencies endanger patients' health and lives. The resolution specifically highlights how current abortion bans put pregnant people at risk during life-threatening conditions like hemorrhage or infection, disproportionately impacting Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrants, and low-income individuals. It serves as a symbolic statement opposing policies that restrict emergency reproductive care access.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill explicitly advocates for emergency healthcare access including abortion care, stating restrictions endanger health and lives, thus protecting patient rights in healthcare emergencies.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Women's Health

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in committee · United States · Senate Dec 4, 2025

S 3369: Medicare-X Choice Act of 2025

The Medicare-X Choice Act of 2025 would establish a new public health insurance option called the "Medicare Exchange health plan" available through health insurance exchanges starting in 2028 for eligible individuals who are not enrolled in traditional Medicare. The plan would offer silver and gold coverage levels with no cost-sharing for primary care services, and would reimburse healthcare providers at Medicare rates. Healthcare providers enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid would be required to participate in this public plan, and the bill includes provisions to collect data addressing health disparities and improve care coordination. The plan would be funded through $1 billion in appropriations for each of two funds to establish and administer the program, while maintaining existing Medicare benefits and trust funds.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates new public health insurance option with no cost-sharing for primary care, expanding coverage access for non-Medicare enrollees and improving patient access to services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Medicare Primary Care

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in committee · United States · Senate Jun 3, 2025

S 1930: Small Biotech Innovation Act

The Small Biotech Innovation Act exempts qualifying drugs from Medicare's drug price negotiation program starting in 2029 for small biotech manufacturers that meet specific R&D investment thresholds. To qualify, a company must have five or fewer single-source drugs and spend 30% to 70% of its net revenue on research and development (based on the number of drugs), while not being controlled by a foreign government. Manufacturers must apply annually with financial data and certification of R&D spending, and the exemption ends if the company is acquired by a non-qualifying entity after 2029. This directly affects small U.S.-based biotech firms developing innovative drugs, allowing them to avoid price negotiations under Medicare.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesExempts qualifying drugs from Medicare price negotiations, increasing government spending on pharmaceuticals and opposing fiscal responsibility.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExempts small biotech drugs from Medicare price negotiations to incentivize R&D, supporting healthcare innovation and drug development.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicare Prescription Drugs

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in committee · United States · House Jul 23, 2025

HR 4745: Medicaid Bump Act

This bill increases federal Medicaid funding for states that expand spending on behavioral health services (mental health and substance use treatment). It creates a new 90% federal reimbursement rate for the *increase* in quarterly state spending on these services compared to the 2019 baseline, provided states use the funds to supplement existing state funding and improve service delivery (e.g., raising provider payment rates). States must report annually to Congress on payment rates, rationale, and service utilization for these programs. The policy directly affects all 50 states administering Medicaid and the providers delivering behavioral health services within those programs. The changes take effect January 1, 2025, following enactment.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides 90% federal reimbursement for state Medicaid spending increases on behavioral health, strengthening state budget capacity for essential services without raising state taxes.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareIncreases federal Medicaid funding for behavioral health services via 90% reimbursement for state spending increases, directly advancing mental health coverage and service delivery.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Medicare Mental Health

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 11, 2026

S 3853: End the Vaccine Carveout Act

The End the Vaccine Carveout Act would amend the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to allow individuals to directly file civil lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers or administrators for vaccine-related injuries or deaths, removing the previous requirement to first pursue compensation through the federal program. It repeals provisions that forced people to choose between the compensation program and a lawsuit, and specifically excludes COVID-19 vaccines from the definition of "covered countermeasure" under emergency use authorities. This change would directly affect vaccine manufacturers and individuals harmed by vaccines, as it eliminates a legal barrier to holding manufacturers accountable in court. The bill does not alter the compensation program's operation for non-COVID-19 vaccines but ends the special liability protection for COVID-19 vaccines under emergency use designations.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllows direct lawsuits for vaccine injuries, removing federal compensation barrier and protecting patient rights under healthcare policy.90% confidence

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in committee · United States · Senate Jan 29, 2026

S 3739: Veterans Hearing Aid Improvement Act of 2026

This bill establishes a two-year demonstration project to test whether the VA should cover FDA-cleared over-the-counter hearing aids (like those sold in stores without a prescription) for eligible veterans. It directly affects veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss who are enrolled in VA care, have a clinical evaluation confirming medical need, no contraindications, and access to smartphone technology. The project compares outcomes and costs between veterans using FDA-approved OTC hearing aids and those using professionally fitted prescription aids across multiple VA facilities. The results will inform whether the VA should permanently cover OTC hearing aids under existing law, measuring both health benefits and fiscal impact.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill proposes expanding VA coverage for FDA-cleared hearing aids, directly improving access to a health service for eligible veterans under public healthcare program.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill tests VA coverage of OTC hearing aids for veterans with hearing loss, expanding access to healthcare benefits and improving service access for eligible veterans.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Veteran Benefits Veteran Employment Veteran Healthcare

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