SAFE through Medicare Act

The SAFE through Medicare Act (Survival Aid For Emergencies through Medicare) would create new Medicare Part B coverage for 'home resiliency services' — items and services that help Medicare beneficiaries who are medically at-risk survive at home during climate or manmade disasters. The bill gives the Secretary of HHS, in consultation with the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, authority to define which beneficiaries qualify based on geography-specific climate risks, regional disaster history (over the past 20 years or 20-year forward predictions), medical reliance on equipment sensitive to temperature/power/water exposure, and chronic conditions or disabilities. Specific examples in the bill include heat pumps for individuals vulnerable to extreme temperatures, solar batteries for individuals reliant on home mechanical ventilators or other electrical medical equipment, and energy-efficient cold storage for heat-sensitive medical supplies. Medicare would pay 100 percent of the lesser of the actual charge or a new fee schedule. Coverage takes effect January 1, 2027. Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts is the sole sponsor.