S. 1227 — ABC Act

This section requires the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Commissioner of Social Security, jointly, to review eligibility determination and application processes, procedures, forms, and communications for Medicare (title XVIII of the Social Security Act), Medicaid (title XIX), the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP, title XXI), and Social Security programs (titles II old-age, survivors, and disability insurance benefits; title XVI supplemental security income benefits). The review must seek to (1) simplify and streamline policies and procedures for determining eligibility, enrolling in, maintaining coverage in, and utilizing benefits under these programs; (2) reduce requirements for family caregivers (as defined in the RAISE Family Caregivers Act) to provide duplicate information or complete redundant documents; and (3) improve interactions with family caregivers through measures such as decreased call wait times, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant websites, translation services, accessible formats (including American Sign Language), staff training on caregiver issues, and regular stakeholder meetings. The review must incorporate input from family caregivers (including those with disabilities), caregiver organizations (state, regional, national, and Tribal), and state Medicaid and CHIP programs. Following the review, the officials must implement actions to simplify and streamline these processes. The section also defines key terms, including "disability" (per 42 U.S.C. 12102).