Sponsors (5)
The bill eases and standardizes caregiver access to Medicare information and provides training, multilingual outreach, and fraud‑prevention guidance to support beneficiaries, but it raises privacy/fraud risks for beneficiaries and additional administrative costs and burdens for caregivers and agencies.
Medicare beneficiaries and their family caregivers will have a clearer, standardized process to authorize caregiver access to Medicare-related health information via 1-800-MEDICARE, making it easier to coordinate care and manage benefits.
Family caregivers will receive targeted training and resources to improve care coordination and support for beneficiaries who need assistance.
Medicare beneficiaries will get clearer fraud‑protection guidance and public reporting channels through issuance of best practices, which should reduce exposure to abuse and improve the ability to report scams.
Medicare beneficiaries may face increased risk of fraud or unauthorized disclosure because allowing caregivers phone access to health information expands avenues for misuse if safeguards are not strictly followed.
Family caregivers will take on greater privacy responsibilities and potential liability or stress from managing beneficiaries' sensitive information, increasing caregiver burden.
Taxpayers and federal agencies may incur added administrative costs to implement multilingual outreach, training, and OIG reporting requirements, requiring additional CMS/HHS resources or reallocation of funds.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires HHS to conduct outreach informing Medicare Part A/B beneficiaries they can authorize a family caregiver to access health info via 1‑800‑MEDICARE using a CMS caregiver‑access form, with fraud‑prevention measures.
Introduced December 16, 2025 by Mike Carey · Last progress December 16, 2025
Requires the HHS Secretary to run outreach and education so Medicare Part A beneficiaries, Part B enrollees, applicants, and new enrollees know they can authorize a family caregiver to access their personal health information through the 1-800‑MEDICARE line if the beneficiary completes a CMS caregiver-access authorization form. Outreach must include website and phone notices, Medicare Advantage–specific outreach, social media, training for 1-800‑MEDICARE operators, multilingual materials, fraud‑prevention guidance, coordination with State Health Insurance Assistance Programs and the Administration for Community Living, and opportunities for caregiver feedback. The HHS Office of Inspector General must issue fraud‑protection best practices to Congress and the public within one year. Also establishes a short title for the Act; it does not appropriate funds or change benefit eligibility or coverage rules.