H.R. 608 119th Congress House

COVER Now Act

Official title: To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for a demonstration project under the Medicaid program for political subdivisions of States to provide… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for a demonstration project under the Medicaid program for political subdivisions of States to provide medical assistance for the expansion population under such program, and for other purposes.

Introduced: January 22, 2025 Introduced by: Lloyd Doggett Democratic · Texas See on congress.gov

Health Congressional oversightGovernment studies and investigationsIntergovernmental relationsMedicaid

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State and local financeState and local government operations

Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Jan 22, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Jan 22, 2025

Introduced in House

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What's happening now January 22, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Cover Outstanding Vulnerable Expansion-eligible Residents Now Act or the COVER Now Act

This bill establishes a demonstration program to allow local governments to provide health benefits to the Medicaid expansion population in states that have not expanded Medicaid.

Under the program, local governments may provide coverage for individuals who are newly eligible for Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e., the Medicaid expansion population) for a maximum of 10 years, or until their respective states expand Medicaid. The bill provides a 100% federal matching rate for the first three years of program participation.

The bill prohibits states from taking certain actions against participating localities, such as withholding funding, increasing taxes, or restricting provider participation. States that violate these requirements are subject to certain funding penalties.

Bill text 1 version

Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

Committees of jurisdiction 1

Energy and Commerce Committee
House of Representatives

Lobbying activity 13

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS
for NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS · Virginia · 3rd Quarter 2026 (July 1 - Sep 30)
AMERICA'S HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS, INC. (AHIP)
for AMERICA'S HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS INC (AHIP) · District of Columbia · 2nd Quarter 2026 (Apr 1 - June 30)
NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS
for NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS · Virginia · 2nd Quarter 2026 (Apr 1 - June 30)
AMERICA'S HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS, INC. (AHIP)
for AMERICA'S HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS INC (AHIP) · District of Columbia · 1st Quarter 2026 (Jan 1 - Mar 31)
NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS
for NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS · Virginia · 1st Quarter 2026 (Jan 1 - Mar 31)
AMERICA'S HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS, INC. (AHIP)
for AMERICA'S HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS INC (AHIP) · District of Columbia · 4th Quarter 2025 (Oct 1 - Dec 31)

Bodies those filers lobbied

Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
13 filings
Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS)
13 filings
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
13 filings
SENATE
13 filings
White House Office
13 filings
Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA)
9 filings
Bureau of Justice Assistance
7 filings
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
7 filings

A filing lists the bills it worked on and the parts of government it contacted in separate sections, so these are the bodies those filers named anywhere in the filing, not a per-bill breakdown.

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Cosponsors 35