COVID–19 Recovery for Seniors and People with Disabilities Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-6951
Sponsor: Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
Introduced: 2020-05-19 in the House
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Aging
American Samoa
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Caribbean area
Community life and organization
Consumer affairs
Disability and paralysis
Disability assistance
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Employee benefits and pensions
Executive agency funding and structure
Food assistance and relief
Guam
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Higher education
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Inflation and prices
Intergovernmental relations
Marriage and family status
Medicaid
Medicare
Northern Mariana Islands
Poverty and welfare assistance
Puerto Rico
Railroads
Social Security Administration
Social security and elderly assistance
State and local finance
Student aid and college costs
Transportation employees
U.S. territories and protectorates
Virgin Islands
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2020-05-19
text: 

COVID-19 Recovery for Seniors and People with Disabilities Act of 2020

 
This bill modifies Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs for older adults and individuals with disabilities, including by revising eligibility criteria and administrative procedures.
 
Among other changes, the bill permanently increases relevant income thresholds and asset limits that apply to SSDI, as well as temporarily suspends certain waiting periods that apply to SSDI, SSI, and Medicare coverage to address the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency. The bill also establishes a special Medicare enrollment period and temporarily suspends asset tests used to determine eligibility for certain low-income subsidy programs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit. In addition, the bill delays the application of a reduced federal matching rate under Medicaid for certain personal care services that require an in-home visit.
 
Additionally, the Social Security Administration (SSA) shall not conduct most disability reviews, collect overpayments, suspend benefits, or undertake specified administrative actions during the COVID-19 emergency. The SSA and the Department of Education must also develop a process to automatically discharge the student loan debt of certain SSDI beneficiaries who have medically determined physical or mental impairments that are unlikely to improve. 
 
In addition, state agencies may modify practices to achieve contactless delivery of food packages to supplement the diets of older, low-income individuals under the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-08-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations.
action_date: 2020-05-19
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Education and Labor, and Agriculture, 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.
action_date: 2020-05-19
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Education and Labor, and Agriculture, 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.
action_date: 2020-05-19
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Education and Labor, and Agriculture, 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.
action_date: 2020-05-19
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Education and Labor, and Agriculture, 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.
action_date: 2020-05-19
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-05-19
text: Introduced in House