Stand Strong for Medicare Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5554 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5554

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for
       certain fall prevention items under the Medicare program.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 2025

Mr. Magaziner introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on
    Ways and Means, and the Budget, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for
       certain fall prevention items under the Medicare program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stand Strong for Medicare Act of
2025''.

SEC. 2. PROVIDING COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN FALL PREVENTION ITEMS UNDER THE
              MEDICARE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Coverage.--Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42
        U.S.C. 1395x) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (n)--
                            (i) by striking ``and wheelchairs'' and
                        inserting ``wheelchairs''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``, and fall prevention
                        items (as defined in subsection (nnn))'' after
                        ``may prescribe)''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new
                subsection:
    ``(nnn) Fall Prevention Items.--The term `fall prevention items'
includes grab bars, non-slip mats, shower chairs, bed rails, and such
other items or categories of items as the Secretary may specify.''.
            (2) Exclusion modification.--Section 1862(a)(1) of the
        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)(1)) is amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (O), by striking ``and'' at the
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (P), by striking the semicolon
                and inserting ``, and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new
                subparagraph:
                    ``(Q) in the case of fall prevention items (as
                defined in section 1861(nnn)), which are not furnished
                pursuant to an order of a physician or practitioner (as
                described in section 1842(b)(18)(C));''.
    (b) Exemption From Sequestration.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, payments for fall prevention items (as defined in
section 1861(nnn) of the Social Security Act, as added by subsection
(a)) under the Medicare program shall not be subject to any reduction
under a sequestration issued under the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985, the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010,
or any other provision law.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
apply beginning 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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