Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act

“P.L. 119-21, One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 8867, Planning for Long-term Aging Needs (PLAN) Act H.R. 5861, Legacy Act of 2025 H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. H.R. 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act. S. 4916, the Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act. H.R. 8100, Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act. S. 3886, Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act. H.R. 6766/S. 3492, the Essential Caregivers Act of 2025. H.R. 7966/S. 4118, Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 5575, the Firefighters Assisting Seniors to Emergency Response (FASTER) Act of 2025. H.R. 3954/S. 4641, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. H.R.5554/S.2831, Stand Strong for Medicare Act. S. 3439/H.R. 6735, Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act and efforts related to the bill S. 1227/H.R. 2491, Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act S. 668/H.R. 3183, Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025 CMS-1851-P, Hospice Proposed rule. CMS-1843-P, Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed rule. CMS-1844-P, Home Health Proposed rule. No bill number. Health care transparency. No bill number. Discussed use of artificial intelligence and health data technology. No bill number. Discussed health-related policies and activities around the fall respiratory virus season. No bill number. Discussed health insurance affordability proposals. No bill number. Discussed Nursing Home staffing standards, safety, and quality. No bill number. Discussed Nursing home transparency and ownership requirements. No bill number. Discussed home health, hospice, and long-term care. No bill number. Discussed falls prevention. No bill number. Discussed social isolation. No bill number. Discussed HUD Assisted Living Requirements No bill number. Discussed family caregiving. No bill number. Discussed AARP paper on Medicare Caregiver Training Services. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid community engagement interim final rule, including the family caregiver exemption. No bill number. Discussed the paid direct care workforce in long-term care. No bill number. Discussed the unaffordability of long-term care. No bill number. Discussed Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program and Medicaid HCBS spousal impoverishment protections. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid fraud and family caregivers, Medicaid self-direction programs. No bill number. Discussed sandwich generation family caregiver hearing and submitted a statement for the record discussing family caregivers and sandwich generation caregivers, programs that support them, AARP caregiving resources, and federal policies to support sandwich generation caregivers and caregivers more broadly. No bill number. Discussed long-term care. No bill number. CMS-2453-NC; Medicaid Program; 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Quality Measure Set Submitted comments No bill number. Discussed expanding access to home care. No bill number. Discussed the increasing cost of home care No bill number. Discussed HSA use for telehealth chronic care management services/subscriptions. No bill number. Discussed artificial intelligence and technology”

“THE TELEHEALTH MODERNIZATION ACT (H.R. 1332/ S.368) Organized a Virtual Capitol Hill Day for ACCC members (70+) on May 12th, 2021. Created one-pagers and talking points on importance of this legislation. ACCC views telehealth expansion as critical for cancer patient access to healthcare providers. THE SAFE STEP ACT (H.R.2163/S.464) Organized a Virtual Capitol Hill Day for ACCC members (70+) on May 12th, 2021. Created one-pagers and talking points on importance of this legislation. ACCC views step therapy in the use of cancer care delivery to be a hinderance to best practice and timely treatment/access of care for patients. THE ACCESS TO GENETIC COUNSELOR SERVICES ACT (H.R. 2144/S.1450) Organized a Virtual Capitol Hill Day for ACCC members (70+) on May 12th, 2021. Created one-pagers and talking points on importance of this legislation. ACCC views genetic counselors as integral members of the cancer care delivery team in oncology programs/practices in the US. THE RESEARCH INVESTMENT TO SPARK THE ECONOMY (RISE) ACT (H.R. 869/S.289) Organized a Virtual Capitol Hill Day for ACCC members (70+) on May 12th, 2021. Created one-pagers and talking points on importance of this legislation. ACCC understands the importance of research funding for the NIH and oncology investigators to promote clinical trials that impact improving cancer outcomes. THE MEDICARE MULTI-CANCER EARLY DETECTION SCREENING COVERAGE ACT OF 2021 (H.R. 1946) Organized a Virtual Capitol Hill Day for ACCC members (70+) on May 12th, 2021. Created one-pagers and talking points on importance of this legislation. ACCC advocates for the use and coverage of cancer screening modalities that will diagnose cancer at earlier stages therefore improving patient outcomes. MOST FAVORED NATION (Proposed by Trump Administration at end of 2020) ACCC entered into a lawsuit against HHS in December 2020 opposing the Most Favored Nation proposal tying drug reimbursements to international reference pricing. By lowering reimbursement to cancer programs and practices, patient access to care would be limited as supportive cancer care services limited due to lack of reimbursement to cover positions. ACCC was concerned over programs/practices closing if proposal were to move forward. ACCC met with one Senators office on this topic expressing concern in January 2021. RADIATION ONCOLOGY MODEL (Proposed by CMMI) ACCC met with 1 Senate office and 1 House office over concerns re: this alternative payment model. ACCC has concerns over mandatory nature of Radiation Oncology model testing reimbursement rates and potentially limiting access to care for patients who are recommended radiation for their cancer diagnosis, particularly in rural areas of the U.S. ”