Sponsor
Edward John Markey
Senator · D-MA
Senator · D-MA
The bill extends Medicare coverage to pay for home resiliency devices that protect medically at-risk beneficiaries from climate- and disaster-related power and heat risks, improving safety and reducing emergency care but increasing federal spending and creating administrative and access challenges.
Medicare beneficiaries who are medically at-risk will receive covered home resiliency devices (e.g., heat pumps, solar batteries) starting Jan 1, 2027, improving safety during disasters.
Patients who rely on electrically powered medical equipment (e.g., ventilators) gain access to solar batteries and similar devices, reducing the risk of life‑threatening power-outage interruptions.
Medicare will pay providers/suppliers fully (100% of actual charge or fee schedule) for these resiliency services, lowering or eliminating out-of-pocket costs for eligible beneficiaries.
Taxpayers may face higher federal health expenditures because Medicare is expanded to cover new home resiliency benefits, increasing budgetary pressure.
Medicare beneficiaries in some areas—particularly rural or low-preparedness regions—could be excluded if they don't meet the Secretary's regional, 20-year risk criteria, leaving vulnerable people without support.
Identifying who is 'medically at-risk' using regional, long-term risk criteria creates administrative complexity that could delay access and impose burdens on CMS, providers, and beneficiaries.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds Medicare coverage and full payment for defined "home resiliency services" for beneficiaries the Secretary designates as medically at‑risk from disasters, effective Jan 1, 2027.
Official title: Amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of medically necessary home resiliency services under Medicare.
Introduced April 21, 2026 by Edward John Markey · Last progress April 21, 2026
Creates a new Medicare benefit covering “home resiliency services” for beneficiaries the Secretary identifies as medically at-risk from climate or manmade disasters, with coverage beginning for services furnished on or after January 1, 2027. The law requires the Secretary to define who is medically at-risk in consultation with NIH, CMS, and NOAA using geographic risk, historical/forward-looking risk windows, dependence on temperature- or power-sensitive medical equipment or supplies, and chronic conditions or disabilities, and requires Medicare to pay 100% of the lesser of actual charge or a fee-schedule amount for those services.