New ABC Act Mandates Federal Agencies Untangle Medicare and Social Security Paperwork for Caregivers

The Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act (ABC Act) is here to tackle a massive, universally hated problem: bureaucratic paperwork. Specifically, Section 2 takes aim at the tangled mess of forms, rules, and communication procedures across four major federal programs: Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program), and all Social Security programs (like retirement, disability, and SSI).

The Caregiver Burden: Stop Asking Twice

This section requires the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Commissioner of Social Security to conduct a comprehensive, joint review of their programs. The primary, most relatable goal is to stop making family caregivers give the same information to different agencies more than once. If you’ve ever had to fill out three nearly identical 10-page forms for three separate government offices—and then fax them, mail them, and upload them—you know the pain this is trying to solve. The bill explicitly defines a “family caregiver” and mandates that the agencies find ways to use information they already have on file or can easily get from another federal source, cutting down on the time and stress for the person providing care.

Mandatory Customer Service Upgrade

Beyond just simplifying forms, the bill demands a significant upgrade in customer service and accessibility. The agencies must figure out how to improve communication, which means less time on hold when calling CMS or the Social Security Administration, and ensuring employees give timely, accurate answers. Furthermore, all program websites must be improved to make information easier to find and must meet ADA standards for accessibility—a crucial detail for caregivers and beneficiaries with disabilities who rely on digital access.

From Paper to Policy: How Change Happens

To ensure this isn't just an internal audit that gathers dust, the officials are required to actively seek feedback from the people actually doing the work: family caregivers themselves, especially those with disabilities, and the organizations that support them. Once the review is complete, the officials must take action to implement the simplifications. They have a hard deadline: No later than two years after the law passes, they must report back to Congress and the public, detailing what they found, what they plan to fix, and an estimate of the costs and timeline for those fixes. This transparency is key to holding the agencies accountable for following through.

Encouraging States to Clean Up Their Act

Since Medicaid and CHIP are run by states with federal oversight, the ABC Act also includes a provision targeting state-level administrative burdens. Within one year, the CMS Administrator must send a letter to every State Medicaid and CHIP Director, encouraging them to conduct their own simplification reviews. This letter will include suggestions and best practices that states can adopt to reduce the administrative headaches for caregivers applying for state health assistance. While this provision is an encouragement, not a mandate, it sets a clear federal expectation for reduced bureaucracy at the state level, which could be a huge win for caregivers trying to coordinate care across multiple programs.