Sponsors (27)
Official title: 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.
Introduced April 1, 2025 by Edward John Markey · Last progress April 1, 2025
The bill aims to reduce caregiver administrative burden and improve access and decision quality through training, outreach, and guidance, but without dedicated funding or mandatory authority its benefits depend on voluntary agency and state action and may be slow or limited.
Family caregivers (parents, families, people with disabilities) will spend less time re-submitting the same information because agencies must reduce duplicate requests and paperwork.
Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers may receive faster, more accurate eligibility and appeals decisions because staff must be trained on caregiver-related program uses and appeals handling.
Family caregivers (parents, families, people with disabilities) will have improved access to assistance through better outreach, more accessible websites, translation and ASL-compatible formats, and shorter call wait times.
Parents, families, beneficiaries, and state programs may see little or slow change because the section creates no new funding or enforcement authority and relies on agency/state voluntary implementation of recommendations.
Caregivers may become frustrated if reports, outreach, and solicited input raise expectations but do not lead to concrete reductions in paperwork or faster services.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs CMS and SSA to review and simplify eligibility, application, and communications across Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Social Security to reduce burdens on family caregivers.
Requires CMS and the Social Security Commissioner to jointly review and simplify how Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Social Security programs determine eligibility, accept applications, communicate with, and serve family caregivers. The agencies must identify and take actions to reduce duplicate paperwork, improve outreach and communications (including translation and accessible formats), shorten call wait times, train staff on caregiver-related uses, and engage stakeholders—without creating new funding or changing statute. The bill defines covered programs and terms, limits the review to process and communication improvements, and does not authorize new spending or amend underlying benefit laws. It directs covered officials to implement identified simplifications to make it easier for family caregivers to determine eligibility, enroll, maintain coverage, and use program benefits across programs and with State Medicaid/CHIP administrators.