A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 3 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
This bill creates a new Medicare Advance Directive Certification Program to encourage people on Medicare to voluntarily set up living wills or healthcare power of attorneys. The Secretary of Health and Human Services must start this program within five years of the bill passing. Under this program, the government will accredit private vendors who store and manage these electronic medical documents for patients. The program provides participating beneficiaries with easy online access to state-approved forms and lets them share their medical wishes with doctors and loved ones. Participating vendors must follow strict privacy rules, undergo annual quality reviews, and pass independent security testing. Beneficiaries are allowed to join or leave the program and terminate their directives at any time.
Yes· 3 of 15
- Scored +7
Would people over 65 be better off under this?
The legislation directly benefits Medicare beneficiaries by helping them securely document and share their healthcare wishes.
- Scored +7
Would retired people be better off under this?
Retirees on Medicare gain clear mechanisms to record and communicate their medical preferences for future care.
- Scored +6
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill creates a Medicare Advance Directive Certification Program that helps beneficiaries easily create, store, and share electronic medical directives.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Better Control Over Medical Treatment: Under Section 2, specifically adding Section 1849(a)(1) and Section 1849(a)(2)(A), the program helps beneficiaries create electronically stored written instructions that outline the exact medical care they want or do not want. This gives individuals a clear voice in their future healthcare decisions if they become incapacitated.
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Easy and Secure Access to Documents: Under Section 2, specifically adding Section 1849(c)(2)(E), accredited vendors must provide near real-time online access to a participant's advance directive. This ensures that the participant, their designated family members, legal representatives, and healthcare providers can quickly view and share these critical medical instructions when needed.
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Protection of Patient Privacy: Under Section 2, specifically adding Section 1849(b)(3) and Section 1849(c)(2)(F), the system must strictly comply with federal privacy and security regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This ensures that a participant's personal health information and advance directive contents are kept private and can only be accessed by authorized individuals and healthcare providers.
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Helpful Dispute Resolution Access: Under Section 2, specifically adding Section 1849(c)(2)(J), vendors must establish a special access process for certain family members or interested individuals to view the advance directive if a dispute arises over medical treatment, food, or fluids after a patient becomes incapacitated. This helps ensure that the patient's documented wishes can be reviewed and followed during family disagreements.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Risks Related to Third-Party Costs: Under Section 2, specifically adding Section 1849(c)(2)(H)(ii)(I), the bill explicitly mentions surveying participants on whether they "had to pay any third party for the creation, storage, or retrieval of the certified advance directive." Because the text acknowledges that participants might face payments to third parties, individuals could potentially be burdened with out-of-pocket costs to use these accredited vendors.
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? — Retirees on Medicare gain clear mechanisms to record and communicate their medical preferences for future care. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The legislation directly benefits Medicare beneficiaries by helping them securely document and share their healthcare wishes. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The bill protects individuals who become incapacitated by ensuring their medical directives and healthcare proxies are easily accessible to providers. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Medicare participants gain better control and organizational tools for their end-of-life medical planning. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Online access to accredited advance directive registries helps rural Medicare beneficiaries manage their documents remotely. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — Veterans enrolled in Medicare can utilize the program to establish and manage their healthcare directives. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Voluntary access to advance planning resources is provided, though potential third-party costs are noted as a minor risk.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — It enforces federal privacy protections to ensure personal health information and advance directives can only be viewed by authorized individuals. Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — The bill establishes structured access for family members during medical treatment disputes to help ensure the patient's documented wishes are respected. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The program requires public display of statutory and alternative advance directive forms and state-by-state indexes on a federal website. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill creates a new federal certification program administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The legislation mandates strict compliance with HIPAA and standardized data protections for electronically stored personal health information. Does this get reliable internet to more people? — The program relies heavily on online and cloud-based registries to provide near real-time access to advance directives.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill creates a Medicare Advance Directive Certification Program that helps beneficiaries easily create, store, and share electronic medical directives.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill establishes quality reviews, privacy standards, and security testing for accredited advance directive vendors, offering some protections to consumers.
- 6/1/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/27/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/15/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- 1 Cosponsor 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.
Christopher CoonsDemocrat · Delaware
Thomas TillisRepublican · North Carolina
Chris Van HollenDemocrat · Maryland