ABC Act
Key claim: The ABC Act (HR2491) requires CMS and SSA to review and streamline eligibility, application, forms, and communications processes across Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Social Security so family caregivers face less duplicative paperwork, and directs CMS to encourage parallel state reviews.
Abstract
(HR2491 · 119th Congress) Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act or the ABC Act This bill requires federal agencies to review and modify the administrative processes related to Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Social Security programs in order to streamline these processes for family caregivers. Specifically, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) must review processes related to eligibility determinations, applications, forms, and communications for these programs and identify ways to simplify and streamline these processes for family caregivers (e.g., reducing the need for family caregivers to submit the same information for multiple programs). The CMS and SSA must solicit input from family caregivers and state and regional organizations, implement any identified improvements, and report on these efforts to Congress. In addition, the CMS must issue a letter to state Medicaid and CHIP programs that encourages states to conduct a similar review and that provides potential improvements. Latest action (2025-03-31): Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Why this matters
Family caregivers routinely navigate parallel enrollment and recertification workflows across Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Social Security, and duplicative paperwork is a well-documented driver of coverage gaps and administrative churn. The ABC Act would not change what is covered or what beneficiaries pay, but it would task CMS and SSA with harmonizing forms and communications and would push states to do the same, potentially reducing caregiver burden at the program-administration level.