S. 1082 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Mar 14, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryExpands Medicaid asset checks for all applicants
Right now, states only check a person's assets (money, property, and resources) when they apply for Medicaid if they're 65 or older, blind, or disabled. This bill would require all states and territories to check everyone's assets before approving them for Medicaid. States would also have to use resource tests—basically financial limits—to decide who qualifies, similar to rules used for another program called Supplemental Security Income.
How it affects you
If you apply for Medicaid, you'd likely need to provide more information about your money and possessions, regardless of your age or disability status. States would have more authority to deny coverage based on how many resources you have. The bill doesn't detail exactly how this changes who gets approved, so the practical impact on individual applicants would depend on how each state sets its financial limits.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Mar 14, 2025)
Safeguarding Medicaid Act
This bill requires states and territories to implement asset verification programs to determine an individual's Medicaid eligibility.
Currently, states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are required to have asset verification programs to determine an individual's eligibility for Medicaid if the individual is age 65 or older, blind, or disabled. The bill applies this requirement to all states and territories and to all individuals seeking Medicaid eligibility.
The bill also requires state Medicaid programs to implement resource tests to determine an individual's Medicaid eligibility (currently, such tests are prohibited except for those age 65 or older or who are blind or disabled). The resource test must conform with the resource test for determining an individual's eligibility for Supplemental Security Income, unless the state specifies a different threshold.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must create a system to track any federal savings due to implementation of the required asset verification programs.
States that do not comply with federal requirements regarding Medicaid eligibility determinations must submit corrective action plans to the CMS.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 1082
A BILL
Safeguarding Medicaid Act
Sponsor: Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) · Introduced Mar 14, 2025 · Health · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 14, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S1778-1779)”
Sections
Sections · 4
- Sec. 1Short titleNo change
- Sec. 2Application of medicaid asset test to all applicants for, and recipients of, medical assistance in all States and territoriesNo change
- Sec. 3Medicaid resources eligibility requirementNo change
- Sec. 4Requiring CMS to track State asset verification of Federal Medicaid programsNo change