SAFE through Medicare Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8749 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8749

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of
      medically necessary home resiliency services under Medicare.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 12, 2026

  Mr. Frost introduced the following bill; which was 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of
      medically necessary home resiliency services under Medicare.

    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 ``Survival Aid For Emergencies through
Medicare Act'' or the ``SAFE through Medicare Act''.

SEC. 2. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF MEDICALLY NECESSARY HOME RESILIENCY
              SERVICES.

    (a) Coverage.--Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395x) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (s)(2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (JJ), by striking ``and'' at
                the end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (KK), by inserting ``and'' at
                the end; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new
                subparagraph:
            ``(LL) in the case of an individual who is medically at-
        risk in the event of a climate or manmade disaster (as
        determined by the Secretary in accordance with subsection
        (ooo)), home resiliency services (as defined in such
        subsection);''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(ooo) Home Resiliency Services; Determination of Individuals
Medically At-Risk.--
            ``(1) Home resiliency services.--The term `home resiliency
        services' means items and services--
                    ``(A) furnished on or after January 1, 2027, to an
                individual described in subsection (s)(2)(LL); and
                    ``(B) that the Secretary determines are medically
                necessary for such individual in the case of a climate
                or manmade disaster, such as a heat pump for an
                individual vulnerable to extreme temperatures, solar
                batteries for an individual reliant on electrical
                medical equipment (including home mechanical
                ventilators), and energy efficient cold-storage for
                heat-sensitive medical supplies.
            ``(2) Determination of individuals medically at-risk.--For
        purposes of subsection (s)(2)(LL) and this subsection, the
        Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the National
        Institutes of Health, the Director of the Centers of Medicare &
        Medicaid Services, and the Administrator of the National
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall establish a
        process to determine the conditions under which an individual
        would be determined to be medically at-risk in the event of a
        disaster or climate hazards, including extreme heat, extreme
        cold, flooding, and loss of power. Such a process shall
        consider--
                    ``(A) geography-specific climate risks and regional
                preparedness for different climate risks;
                    ``(B) the regional history of disaster or climate
                hazards and infrastructure failure in the preceding 20
                years or the forward-looking predicted risk of disaster
                or climate hazards and infrastructure failure in the
                next 20 years;
                    ``(C) medical reliance on equipment,
                pharmaceuticals, mobility aids, and other supplies that
                are sensitive to exposure to extreme temperatures, poor
                air quality, flooding and water damage, or dependent on
                electrical power; and
                    ``(D) chronic medical conditions, disabilities, and
                comorbidities that increase patient vulnerability
                during disaster.''.
    (b) Payment.--Section 1833(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395l(a)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' before ``(HH)''; and
            (2) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the
        following: ``and (II) with respect to home resiliency services
        described in section 1861(s)(2)(LL), the amount paid shall be
        an amount equal to 100 percent of the lesser of the actual
        charge for the services or the amount determined under a fee
        schedule established by the Secretary''.
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