Medicaid Program Improvement Act

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8111) to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure the reliability of address information provided under the Medicaid program, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 8111

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 ``Medicaid Program Improvement Act''. SEC. 2. ENSURING THE RELIABILITY OF ADDRESS INFORMATION PROVIDED UNDER THE MEDICAID PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--Section 1902(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (86), by striking ``and'' at the end;

(2) in paragraph (87), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and

(3) by inserting after paragraph (87) the following new paragraph:

``(88) beginning January 1, 2026, provide for a process to regularly obtain address information for individuals enrolled under such plan (or a waiver of such plan) from reliable data sources (as described in section 435.919(f)(1)(iii) of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation)) and act on any changes to such an address based on such information in accordance with such section (or successor regulation), except that this paragraph shall only apply in the case of the 50 States and the District of Columbia.''.

(b) Application to CHIP.--Section 2107(e)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397gg(e)(1)) is amended--

(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (H) through (U) as subparagraphs (I) through (V), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subparagraph (G) the following new subparagraph:

``(H) Section 1902(a)(88) (relating to regularly obtaining address information for enrollees).''.

(c) Ensuring Transmission of Address Information From Managed Care Organizations.--Section 1932 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396u-2) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

``(j) Transmission of Address Information.--Beginning January 1, 2026, each contract under a State plan with a managed care entity under section 1903(m) shall provide that the entity transmits to the State any address information for an individual enrolled with the entity that is provided to such entity directly from, or verified by such entity directly with, such individual.''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8111, the Medicaid Program Improvement Act.

Mr. Speaker, this bill represents a significant step forward in how we manage and improve the Medicaid program. Every day, Medicaid serves millions of Americans, providing critical healthcare services. However, an often overlooked aspect of this vital program is the accuracy and reliability of address information for our beneficiaries.

Inaccurate or outdated addresses can lead to beneficiaries being enrolled in multiple State Medicaid programs, jeopardizing program integrity. The Medicaid Program Improvement Act addresses this issue head on. By amending title XIX of the Social Security Act, we will ensure that Medicaid programs have a robust and regular process for verifying and updating address information.

Starting January 1, 2026, State Medicaid programs will utilize reliable data sources to keep address information current, which will be crucial in ensuring that individuals receive the care they need, but are also eligible without unnecessary interruptions.

Additionally, my bill extends these requirements to the Children's Health Insurance Program, CHIP, and mandates that managed care organizations transmit accurate address information to States.

This comprehensive approach guarantees that all aspects of our Medicaid and CHIP systems work in concert to deliver seamless, effective care. Let's take this important step together and ensure that State Medicaid systems function reliably and effectively as much as they can.

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Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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