A Republican bill with 3 Democratic cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act of 2025" seeks to amend the Social Security Act regarding Medicare. It directs the Secretary to provide outreach and education to Medicare beneficiaries and their family caregivers. The goal is to simplify how family caregivers access personal health information through the 1-800-MEDICARE telephone number. This is achieved by having the beneficiary complete a specified authorization form. The bill also includes provisions for protecting individuals from fraudulent practices and requires the Secretary to provide information in non-English languages.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +5
Would people over 65 be better off under this?
The bill facilitates easier information access for Medicare beneficiaries through their family caregivers.
- Scored +5
Would retired people be better off under this?
The bill improves the ease with which Medicare beneficiaries can have caregivers access their health information.
- Scored +5
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill simplifies how family caregivers can access personal health information for Medicare beneficiaries via the 1-800-MEDICARE number.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Simplified Access to Information: The bill allows individuals entitled to or applying for Medicare benefits to authorize a family caregiver to access their personal health information via the �1-800-MEDICARE number (Section 2, paragraph 1).
-
Increased Awareness and Education: The Secretary is required to conduct outreach to inform beneficiaries, caregivers, and service providers about the option to share information (Section 2, paragraph 2(A)).
-
Fraud Protection: The bill mandates the creation and public release of best practices to protect individuals from fraud related to the inappropriate access or use of their personal health information (Section 2, paragraph 4).
-
Improved Fraud Reporting: Education efforts will include informing individuals about all existing reporting mechanisms for suspected Medicare fraud (Section 2, paragraph 2(C)).
-
Accessibility and Inclusion: Information and authorization forms must be made available in non-English languages as specified by the Secretary (Section 2, paragraph 6).
-
Feedback Opportunities: The Secretary will provide ways, such as surveys, for family caregivers to give feedback on their experiences accessing information and the effectiveness of outreach activities (Section 2, paragraph 5).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Risk of Fraudulent Practices: There is a recognized risk regarding individuals inappropriately accessing or using a beneficiary's personal health information, which the Secretary is tasked with creating best practices to prevent (Section 2, paragraph 4).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would retired people be better off under this? — The bill improves the ease with which Medicare beneficiaries can have caregivers access their health information. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill facilitates easier information access for Medicare beneficiaries through their family caregivers.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill simplifies how family caregivers can access personal health information for Medicare beneficiaries via the 1-800-MEDICARE number. Does this put more money into Medicare, the health coverage for people over 65? — The bill directs the Secretary to fund outreach and education activities related to Medicare information access.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the public release of best practices to protect against fraud and informs beneficiaries of reporting mechanisms.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this strengthen Social Security? — The bill streamlines the ability of family caregivers to assist Medicare beneficiaries with their health information.
- 12/11/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- 5 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat · Wisconsin
Bill CassidyRepublican · Louisiana
Maggie HassanDemocrat · New Hampshire
Lisa MurkowskiRepublican · Alaska
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota