Medicare at Home Act

Bill100 legislative analyst task — writing a plain-English summary now, not touching any code.

The Medicare at Home Act (S. 5270) would create a new Medicare-covered home care benefit for people who need help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, or meal preparation. The benefit would be capped at 20 hours per week, and would require a doctor or authorized practitioner to certify that the individual needs assistance with at least two activities of daily living, two instrumental activities of daily living, or one of each. It would be added to Medicare Part B and is separate from existing home health services.

The bill affects Medicare beneficiaries — enrolled in Part A or Part B — who meet the certification requirement, provided they aren't already receiving equivalent long-term services through Medicaid. Home care workers and agencies who enroll to provide the services would be paid under a new methodology that the Secretary of Health and Human Services must establish, reflecting a "reasonable wage floor." The cost would be funded through adjustments to Medicare Part B premiums, and the CMS Chief Actuary would have to report the per-beneficiary premium impact to Congress within 180 days of enactment.

The bill was introduced by Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) on August 5, 2026, and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance, where it currently sits. For it to move forward, the committee would need to act on it, followed by votes in the full Senate and House and the President's signature. If enacted, HHS would have one year to issue implementing regulations, and the benefit itself would not take effect until more than two years after enactment.

Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.