Ways & Means Committee Prioritized Lowering Health Care Costs, Support for Seniors, & Protections for Children & Families in 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In 2025, the Ways and Means Committee prioritized solutions that will expand access, lower the cost, and increase the quality of health care, improve retirement security for America's seniors, and ensure critical federal resources and benefits are going to help those in need, not fraudsters or illegal immigrants.

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) issued the following statement:

"The Ways and Means Committee's commitment to addressing the needs of working families was not just consumed by tax policy this year. The committee maintained a robust policy agenda focused on advancing policy solutions to make health care more affordable and innovative treatments more accessible for all Americans. We took on clear failures in customer service at the Social Security Administration to make that agency more responsive to those planning for retirement and those who may have had their Social Security numbers stolen or compromised. In the wake of historic child welfare reforms enacted at the beginning of this year, the Committee kept its focus on protecting resources for vulnerable children and families by combatting fraud in unemployment insurance and improving the nation's support for foster youth. By targeting specific areas of need, many of these reforms garnered strong bipartisan support."

Key Policy Achievements:

• $50 billion investment in the health care needs of rural communities.
• Expanded access to health savings accounts (HSAs) to millions on Obamacare which will unlock tax advantages for medical care, better protection against medical debt during emergencies, and more freedom to choose affordable care - among reforms to lower health care premiums for all Americans.
• Approved legislation to increase seniors' access to cancer screening and breakthrough medical devices.
• Advanced 5-year extension of Hospital-at-Home program to improve a patient's quality of life.
• Advanced legislation to allow pre-deductible coverage of treatment options for Americans living with chronic diseases.
• Advanced legislation to allow coverage for self-administered infusion treatments in oneʼs home.
• Blocked illegal immigrant access to taxpayer funded health care benefits.
• Eliminated over $185 billion worth of fraud and waste in the Obamacare Marketplace.
• Approved an extension of the statute of limitations to prosecute pandemic unemployment insurance fraud.
• Launched reforms to Chafee Program to support foster youth, consistent with the First Lady's "Fostering the Future" initiative.
• Advanced legislation to make sure seniors get clear information about their benefits, require the Social Security Administration (SSA) to issue new Social Security numbers to children whose number has been lost or stolen and provide Americans with a single point of contact at SSA when their identity is stolen.