H.R. 3468: Protecting Retirement and Health Benefits for Families Act

The Protecting Retirement and Health Benefits for Families Act (H.R. 3468) aims to ensure that any agency responsible for significant public programs must prove that planned staffing cuts or closures of regional offices will not negatively affect the delivery of services or benefits to the public. This legislation applies to several key agencies, which are referred to as "covered agencies". These agencies include:

• The Social Security Administration (SSA)
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
• The Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
• The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Key Provisions

The main requirements of the bill are as follows:

1. Certification to Congress: Before any major operational changes that might involve significant staffing cuts (over 5%) or regional office closures (also over 5%) can occur, the head of a covered agency must certify to Congress that these changes will not:
• Reduce the benefits or assistance that eligible individuals receive.
• Increase delays in receiving benefits or improve response times to inquiries regarding benefits.
• Limit the agency’s capacity to outreach to eligible individuals to increase benefit uptake.
2. Reporting Requirements: Along with the certification, agency heads must provide a report to Congress detailing how they plan to manage resources and operational changes to ensure service levels are maintained, preventing:
• Staffing shortages that hinder benefit processing and payments.
• Increased wait times for inquiries about benefits.
• A decrease in outreach efforts to bring in eligible individuals for assistance.
• Any impact on important regulatory or oversight functions of the agency.
3. Inspection and Accountability: The Inspector General for each covered agency will conduct a study within one year after certifications to determine if the planned actions indeed impacted services negatively, as previously stated. The findings from this study will be reported back to Congress.
4. Reversal of Actions: If an inspector general finds that the changes compromised service provisions, the agency responsible must reverse those actions. This could include reinstating laid-off staff and reopening regional offices that were closed.

Definitions

Important definitions included in the bill clarify what constitutes a "covered activity" and which agencies are included. A "covered activity" means:

• Planned staffing cuts of over 5% within a year.
• Closing over 5% of regional offices within a year.
• Any budget changes that may lead to a material reduction in service capacities.
• Any restructuring that risks weakening beneficiary protections or agency oversight capabilities.

The bill stipulates that these conditions apply to agencies responsible for significant programs that provide financial support, health care, tax services, housing, and veterans' affairs.

Effective Date

The provisions of this Act will go into effect one year after its enactment.

Relevant Companies

• UNH - UnitedHealth Group: As a major player in health insurance, changes at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services could influence their operations and financial performance.
• CNC - Centene Corporation: This company provides health insurance and may also be affected by the policies and operational changes of CMS.
• VA - The Veterans Affairs agencies' management decisions may impact businesses that partner with the VA for services and benefits delivery.