Hospitals & Health Systems

Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program Reauthorization

Randy Feenstra (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would extend the Medicare rural community hospital demonstration program from a 15-year extension period to a 20-year extension period, keeping the program's special payment rules running for five more years. It would also let rural community hospitals that join the demonstration between December 30, 2024 and January 1, 2027, even though they were not original participants, receive the same treatment as earlier participants during the fourth five years of the extension. This bill extends the rural community hospital demonstration program from 15 to 20 years, guaranteeing participating rural hospitals continued enhanced Medicare payments and giving newer entrants payment protections for the final five years.

Where it stands

HR8967 was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on May 21, 2026 and has gone no further; the measure is stalled pending any committee action.

Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program Reauthorization

Chuck Grassley (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill extends the duration of the rural community hospital demonstration program from fifteen years to twenty years. It also allows hospitals that are not original participants to join the program during a specific window between late 2024 and early 2027. This bill gives rural community hospitals five more years of special Medicare payment rates under the demonstration program, from 15 to 20 years, and lets hospitals that were not original participants join between late 2024 and early 2027.

Where it stands

S4460 passed the Senate on May 20, 2026, by unanimous consent and is now pending in the House, where it was held at the desk on May 21, 2026. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance on April 30, 2026, and discharged from that committee on May 20, 2026.

Provider Reimbursement Stability Act of 2026

John Boozman (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill increases the Medicare budget neutrality threshold to $57.64 million in 2028 and adjusts it annually thereafter. It also requires the government to correct physician payment rates based on actual versus estimated service usage and to update practice expense cost data every five years. This bill benefits general medical and surgical hospitals and specialty hospitals by raising the Medicare budget neutrality threshold and capping payment swings at 2.5 percent, stabilizing the Medicare reimbursement rates that flow to these facilities.

Where it stands

S5180 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance on July 30, 2026, and no upcoming meetings are scheduled in the current calendar data.

Health Care Price Certainty for All Americans Act

Jason Smith (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill would create a sweeping health care price transparency regime, requiring hospitals, clinical diagnostic labs, imaging providers, ambulatory surgical centers, health insurers, and group health plans to publicly disclose their prices, negotiated rates, and cost-sharing details in standard formats, with daily fines and large penalties for those that do not comply. It would also stop health plans, insurers, and pharmacy benefit managers from punishing pharmacies that tell patients when the insured price is higher than the cash price, require large Medicare Advantage and drug plan sponsors to report their ownership of providers, pharmacies, and benefit managers, and provide funding to carry the rules out. This bill requires Medicare-participating hospitals and imaging providers to publicly disclose prices and attest to accuracy, backed by daily civil monetary penalties, while offering rural and hardship hospitals penalty waivers, reduced fines, technical assistance, and a price estimator tool safe harbor.

Where it stands

Referred on July 13, 2026 to Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Workforce, the bill was taken up at a Ways and Means markup on July 15, 2026, where the committee voted 25 to 15 to order it reported in the nature of a substitute. Energy and Commerce and Education and Workforce have not yet acted on their referrals.

Medicare Access to Rural Anesthesiology Act

John R. Moolenaar (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would have Medicare pay certain small rural hospitals, including critical access hospitals, on a reasonable cost basis for anesthesia services furnished by an anesthesiologist the hospital employs or contracts with, instead of the lower fee-schedule payments those services normally receive. To qualify, a hospital must show that when the bill was enacted it employed or contracted with no more than one full-time-equivalent anesthesiologist, that its 2026 surgical procedures requiring anesthesia did not exceed 800, and that its anesthesiologists agree not to bill Medicare separately for professional services at the hospital. This bill lets small rural hospitals and critical access hospitals with one or fewer anesthesiologists and 800 or fewer anesthesia surgeries be paid by Medicare at cost for anesthesia services, if their anesthesiologists stop billing Part B separately.

Where it stands

The House Committee on Ways and Means took up this bill at a markup on July 15, 2026, following its July 13, 2026 referral, and ordered it reported in the nature of a substitute by a vote of 41 to 0. That vote is the report-out, but no written report has been filed and no calendar placement appears on the record, so the next move rests with House majority leadership.

Prices on the Wall Act of 2026

Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal would require hospitals, critical access hospitals, rural emergency hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, laboratories, and providers or suppliers of imaging services that receive Medicare payment to conspicuously post, in a publicly accessible location other than the emergency department, the prices for 70 federally specified shoppable services starting January 1, 2028. Entities would post their discounted cash price, or, if none exists, either the median cash price they charged self-pay patients over the prior three years (for hospitals and surgical centers) or their undiscounted gross charge (for laboratories and imaging providers). This bill requires hospitals, including critical access and rural emergency hospitals, to conspicuously post cash prices for 70 shoppable services starting January 1, 2028, adding compliance costs and exposing higher-priced hospitals to cheaper competitors.

Where it stands

On July 21, 2026 the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, at a markup, ordered HR9390 reported (amended) by a vote of 24 to 21, following referral on June 23, 2026 and markups on June 25, 2026 and July 20, 2026; that markup vote is the report-out event, and no written report or calendar placement appears on the record yet.

Lower Costs, More Transparency Act of 2026

Brett Guthrie (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal would impose sweeping price transparency rules across the health care system starting in 2028, requiring hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to publish standard charges and negotiated prices, requiring laboratories and imaging providers to disclose discounted cash prices or gross charges, and requiring health plans, insurers, and pharmacy benefit managers to disclose rates, cost-sharing, spread pricing, rebates, and prior authorization data, all backed by escalating daily fines and public enforcement reporting. It would also lower drug prices by deeming approved biosimilars interchangeable and curbing delay-tactic citizen petitions, speed review of certain over-the-counter drugs, and send new federal funding to community health centers for behavioral health and nutrition services. This bill requires all hospitals, including critical access and rural emergency hospitals, to publish standard charges and negotiated prices in a uniform format, face daily fines for noncompliance, but offers rural, underserved, and hardship hospitals penalty waivers, reductions, and technical assistance.

Where it stands

On July 21, 2026, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, in a markup following earlier markups on June 25 and July 20, voted by a tally of 45 to 0 to order the bill reported in the nature of a substitute. The record shows no written report filed and no House calendar placement, and the Committees on Ways and Means and Education and Workforce, which also received the bill on referral on June 23, 2026, show no action in the record.

STAR Act

Kevin Hern (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would extend Medicare's site-neutral payment reduction for long-term care hospitals through fiscal year 2036 instead of 2026, and would raise that reduction to 10 percent for fiscal years 2027 through 2036. It would also create a new 'high acuity' exemption that lets certain long-term care hospitals with high-weight cases, including those that were already enrolled or investing in construction when the law changed, escape the site-neutral cut and keep the higher standard long-term care hospital payment rate. This bill cuts Medicare payments to long-term care hospitals by extending and deepening site-neutral reductions through 2036, while exempting certain high-cost discharges and hospitals that were established, under construction, or certified before enactment.

Where it stands

H.R. 9468 was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on June 25, 2026, and at the committee's July 15, 2026 markup the committee ordered the bill reported in the nature of a substitute by a vote of 40 to 0. The committee has voted to report the bill, but no written report has been filed and no calendar placement is on the record.

Health Care Cybersecurity and Resiliency Act of 2026

Bill Cassidy (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would have the Health and Human Services Secretary and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency coordinate to improve cybersecurity across the health care and public health sectors, including sharing threat information, providing technical assistance, and issuing cybersecurity guidance for rural health entities. It would also require the Secretary to update federal health data security regulations so that covered entities and business associates must adopt minimum cybersecurity practices such as multifactor authentication, encryption of protected health information, and penetration testing, with those requirements taking effect 36 months after enactment, while creating a grant program of up to 3 years for federally qualified health centers, Indian Health Service facilities, nonprofit hospitals, rural health clinics, and partnering nonprofits to fund cybersecurity staffing, risk assessments, cloud migration, and incident response planning.

Where it stands

The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent, with an amendment, on September 30, 2026 and was messaged to the House, where it has been held at the desk since October 5, 2026. The Senate is done with it, and the House now decides how or whether to act.

National Patient Safety Board Act of 2026

Nanette Diaz Barragán (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would create an independent National Patient Safety Board within the Department of Health and Human Services to monitor, study, and recommend ways to prevent patient safety events, supported by a public-private Health Care Safety Team, a public Patient Safety Reporting System, an opt-in data access portal for de-identified patient data, and study division investigations with required responses from the HHS and Veterans Affairs secretaries. It would bar Board reports from being used as evidence of liability in civil lawsuits and prohibit HHS from using Board work product to discipline health care providers, while allowing the reports to inform standards of care and requiring reports to be made public within a year of the underlying study.

Where it stands

On October 15, 2026 the bill was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, with the period for each referral to be determined by the Speaker. No hearing or markup has been noticed in either committee, and the bill sits at the earliest stage of the committee process.

Tax Exempt Hospital Transparency Act

Gregory F. Murphy (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would require tax-exempt hospital organizations to report new information on their annual tax returns, including how they are addressing needs identified in their community health assessments, audited financial statements, the value of charity care they provide, and how many financial assistance applications they grant or deny. It would add heavier duties for larger hospitals, with those over 100 staffed beds reporting spending on top health needs, quality improvement, and nonclinical programs, and those with more than $100 million in net patient revenue reporting advertising costs, the revenues and costs of each health service line, and their 340B drug discount program figures, while directing federal health officials to publish a standardized service line list and ordering a congressional study of the compliance costs and of the taxes the 25 highest-grossing exempt hospitals would owe if their exemption were removed. This bill requires tax-exempt hospitals, especially those over 100 staffed beds or with more than $100 million in net patient revenue, to report annually on charity care, financial assistance decisions, service line finances, advertising costs, and 340B drug program figures.

Where it stands

The House Committee on Ways and Means referred H.R. 9504 on June 29, 2026, and at a July 1, 2026 markup voted 25 to 15 to order it reported in the nature of a substitute. That vote is itself the report-out event, so the bill has cleared its committee; the written report and any calendar placement do not appear on the record yet, though neither is a prerequisite for floor action.

Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027

This is an omnibus proposal impacting several different industries, including Hospitals & Health Systems.

Robert B. Aderholt (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal would appropriate billions of dollars for health care, education, and labor programs while also imposing specific spending restrictions on topics such as abortion and gender identity. It would further reduce funding by rescinding billions from existing accounts and eliminating subsidized undergraduate student loans. This bill directs large federal appropriations to hospitals and health systems, including $100 million for rural hospitals with 50 or fewer beds, billions for Medicaid and HIV treatment, facility construction and telehealth grants, while barring federal funds for abortion and restricting hospitals whose training programs include abortion procedures.

Where it stands

HR9260 was ordered reported by the House Committee on Appropriations following a markup on June 11, 2026, and was placed on the Union Calendar as Calendar No. 604 on the same date. This placement signifies eligibility for floor consideration in the Committee of the Whole but does not schedule a specific vote.

Transparency in Billing Act of 2026

Virginia Foxx (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill prohibits group health plans and insurers from paying hospital claims for off-campus outpatient services unless the claim includes a separate unique health identifier for that department. It imposes civil monetary penalties on hospitals that fail to include these identifiers, capped at $300 per day for small hospitals and $5,500 per day for larger ones. This bill requires hospitals with off-campus outpatient departments, including rural and specialty facilities, to include a unique health identifier on each claim or face daily civil monetary penalties capped at $300 for small hospitals and $5,500 for larger ones.

Where it stands

HR 8684 was reported by the House Committee on Education and Workforce on July 13, 2026, and automatically placed on the Union Calendar as Calendar No. 652. This placement indicates the measure is eligible for floor consideration but is not scheduled for a specific date.

Health Care Efficiency Through Flexibility Act

Vern Buchanan (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill requires the government to offer specific electronic and clinical data collection methods for Medicare Accountable Care Organizations from 2025 to 2029 and allows organizations to exclude data from participants who cannot use the chosen method. It also establishes a pilot program from 2028 to 2032 where selected organizations report only two specified measures using digital formats while exempting them from reporting other required quality metrics.

Where it stands

The House passed the bill under suspension of the rules on June 29, 2026, and the Senate received it on July 13, 2026, referring it to the Committee on Finance.

Rural Hospital Cybersecurity Enhancement Act

Erin Houchin (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop, within one year, a national strategy for building the cybersecurity workforce at rural hospitals, consulting federal cyber and education officials and rural health care providers, and to brief Congress on it annually. It would also require the Secretary to publish free training materials that rural hospitals can use to teach staff basic cybersecurity skills, with no additional federal money authorized for any of this. This bill directs HHS to create a rural hospital cybersecurity workforce strategy and publish free training materials, giving rural hospitals no-cost resources to train staff in basic cybersecurity skills without new federal funding.

Where it stands

H.R. 9908 was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on July 23, 2026, and the committee held a hearing on the bill on September 15, 2026. No markup has been noticed and no further committee action appears in the record; under House practice a hearing is not required before a markup and does not commit the chair to further action.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish a credit to incentivize the use of certain low-emission anesthetic gases by health care facilities, and for other purposes.

Valerie P. Foushee (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would create a new federal tax credit for hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and other designated health care facilities that buy the low-emission anesthetic gases isoflurane or sevoflurane, with the credit ranging from 15 to 50 percent of those purchases depending on how much the facility cuts its use of the higher-emission gases desflurane and nitrous oxide per bed compared with the prior year. It would also cover up to $1,500 in retrofit costs per mobile anesthetic machine to make it compatible with the low-emission gases, apply to amounts paid after December 31, 2026, allow the credit to be paid as a direct refund, and end it for amounts paid after December 31, 2029. This bill gives hospitals and health systems a tax credit worth 15 to 50 percent of purchases of low-emission anesthetic gases, plus up to $1,500 per machine in retrofit costs, paid even without tax liability through 2029.

Where it stands

HR10778 was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on October 9, 2026 and sits at the start of the committee stage, with no hearing or markup yet noticed and nothing scheduled in our calendar data.

Lower Premiums, Faster Payments Act

Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill would end the independent dispute resolution process used to settle out-of-network payment disputes for services furnished on or after January 1, 2028, including for air ambulance services, and instead automatically pay those out-of-network claims at the qualifying payment amount. It would redefine the qualifying payment amount for 2028 and later as the median of a plan's contracted rates as of January 31, 2019, adjusted upward each year by inflation, and would direct federal agencies to update the payment methodology within 180 days, bar courts from reviewing that methodology, require annual audits of claims data with findings made public starting in 2028, and set notice deadlines of 30 days after a provider sends a bill for services paid at the qualifying payment amount.

Where it stands

HR10788 was referred on October 9, 2026 to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, Education and Workforce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker. No hearing or markup has been noticed, and no meetings are scheduled in our calendar data.

EMPOWER for Health Act

Jack Reed (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill reauthorizes and increases funding for federal health workforce education and training programs through fiscal year 2031, with total annual authorizations rising to approximately $300 million. It also expands eligibility for pediatric workforce grants to include underserved populations and requires specific service obligations for grant recipients. This bill raises federal workforce education funding through 2031, benefiting teaching hospitals as residency and fellowship training sites, while requiring pediatric grant recipients to perform direct clinical care service obligations.

Where it stands

The bill was reported by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on July 28, 2026, and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders as Calendar No. 529. Since it was reported without a written report, no waiting period applies, and the measure is now awaiting floor consideration.

Securing Facilities for Mental Health Services Act

Tom Emmer (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill removes one of the eligibility conditions hospitals must satisfy to obtain mortgage insurance under section 242 of the National Housing Act, which would expand that federal hospital mortgage insurance program to additional hospitals. It also requires the Housing and Urban Development Secretary to report to the House Financial Services and Senate Banking committees within two years on the results and effectiveness of that expanded program. This bill expands federal mortgage insurance eligibility under HUD's hospital mortgage insurance program to hospitals that previously could not qualify, especially behavioral health facilities, giving them access to federally insured financing, and requires a report on the program's results.

Where it stands

On September 16, 2026 the House Committee on Financial Services, at a markup, ordered the bill reported as amended by a vote of 49 to 0, following an earlier markup on June 30, 2026 and a hearing on January 21, 2026 after its January 13, 2026 referral. No written report has been filed and no calendar placement appears on the record.

Maternity Care for Rural Communities Act of 2026

Sharice Davids (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would exempt Medicaid state-directed payments for maternity, labor, and delivery services furnished by rural hospitals, hospitals run by the Indian Health Service or tribes, and hospitals where at least half of births in the most recent 12-month period are qualifying births (paid through Medicaid, Medicare, the Children's Health Insurance Program, the Indian Health Service, or involving uninsured patients with uncompensated care) from any limits during rating periods beginning on or after July 4, 2025. This would let those hospitals receive higher Medicaid payments for delivering babies than the caps in the 2025 reconciliation law would otherwise allow. This bill lets rural hospitals, Indian Health Service or tribal hospitals, and hospitals where at least half of births are Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, IHS, or uninsured births receive higher Medicaid payments for maternity, labor, and delivery care without the payment caps.

Where it stands

HR10728 was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on October 5, 2026, where it now awaits any committee action. Referral places the bill in the committee's hands, and the chair alone decides whether a hearing or a markup is ever noticed; no such meeting appears in the calendar data.

Rural Surgery Sustainability Act of 2026

Sharice Davids (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would raise the Medicare cost pass-through cap for certified registered nurse anesthetist services from 500 to 1,250 surgical procedures per year, spare hospitals with active labor and delivery units from those volume and annual-hours limits, and require the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to report to Congress on paying for on-call nurse anesthetist services. It would also direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review and update these limits at least every 2 years with inflation adjustments tied to the Medicare Economic Index, with the changes applying to services furnished on or after January 1, 2027. This bill raises Medicare cost pass-through limits for nurse anesthetist services from 500 to 1,250 and exempts hospitals with active labor and delivery units from volume and service hour caps starting January 1, 2027, increasing their Medicare payments.

Where it stands

HR10731 was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on October 5, 2026 and sits at the earliest stage of the committee process, with no hearing or markup appearing in the available calendar data. Ways and Means holds its regular meeting day each Wednesday the House sits.

Long-Term Rural Health Investment Act of 2026

Sharice Davids (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would roll back parts of the 2025 budget law's Medicaid changes by letting state directed payments run at up to 200 percent of Medicare rates (or average commercial rates where Medicare rates are not published) for rating periods starting in 2030, phasing down previously approved payments by 10 percent a year rather than cutting them off, and reverting to the older payment rules until then. It would also require states to submit detailed data on these payments through the Medicaid reporting system starting in 2027, and would repeal the 2025 law's restrictions on state provider taxes while rescinding money appropriated under one of those provisions.

Where it stands

HR10729 was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on October 5, 2026, and no further action is recorded. The bill is at the committee stage, where a hearing or a markup would be noticed at the discretion of the committee chair.

Urban Health Transformation Act of 2026

Maxine Waters (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal would create an Urban Health Transformation Program run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, appropriating $10 billion a year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, a total of $50 billion, plus $200 million for fiscal year 2026 setup costs, to be divided among states with approved plans for improving urban health care. States would apply once by the end of 2026 with no matching funds required, and would spend their share on at least three activities such as provider payments, chronic disease prevention, health technology like remote monitoring and artificial intelligence, clinician recruitment, and substance use and mental health treatment, with unused money returned to the Treasury and funds cut off for states that spend against their approved plans. This bill sends $50 billion to states that can direct payments to Medicare and Medicaid enrolled urban hospitals for care delivery and technology like remote monitoring, directly funding hospitals and health systems in large metropolitan areas.

Where it stands

HR10640 was referred on October 1, 2026 to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and, in addition, to the House Committee on Ways and Means, with the period for each referral to be determined by the Speaker. The bill is at the earliest committee stage: no hearing or markup appears in the calendar data, and each committee's chair controls whether one is ever noticed.

Internationally Trained Physicians Assistance Act of 2026

Adam Smith (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would let the federal health department give states grants to build programs letting internationally trained doctors practice medicine under supervision while finishing their US licensing exams, and would exempt certain such doctors at hospitals that predominantly serve medically underserved populations and have training agreements with rural hospitals or community health centers from Medicare's residency cap. It would also fund state programs covering these doctors' exam fees, career counseling, case management, English classes, diploma verification help, and test preparation, and require a report to Congress within 180 days on removing the residency cap entirely. This bill lets hospitals serving medically underserved populations, including those with rural or community clinic training agreements, train internationally trained physicians beyond the Medicare residency cap and helps fund their exam fees and licensure support.

Where it stands

HR 10707 was referred on October 1, 2026 to two committees, Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means, in a multiple referral under which the Speaker will set the period for each panel. No hearing or markup is currently scheduled, so the bill awaits any action the committee chairs choose to notice.

FCHIP Extension Act

Julie Fedorchak (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would extend the Frontier Community Health Integration Project, a Medicare demonstration in frontier areas, by lengthening its authorized duration from a 5-year period to a 10-year period, with the change taking effect on December 31, 2026. This would let the demonstration, which tests new models of care for rural Medicare beneficiaries, continue operating roughly twice as long as originally allowed. This bill doubles the FCHIP Medicare demonstration from a 5-year to a 10-year authorization, so hospitals in frontier communities keep participating and receiving demonstration funding through the extended period ending December 31, 2026.

Where it stands

The FCHIP Extension Act was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on October 1, 2026; no hearing or markup has been noticed, and no further action appears in the calendar data.

IMD CARE Act

Cliff Bentz (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would let states, starting in 2027, use Medicaid to pay for items and services furnished to Medicaid-enrolled adults aged 21 to 65 with a serious mental illness while they are patients in an institution for mental diseases, capped at 30 days in any 12-month period. To get those federal payments, a state would have to keep its own non-federal funding for outpatient and community-based mental health services at fiscal year 2023 levels, report compliance information to the federal government, and meet a set of care-coordination requirements covering placement screening, transition of patients back to community care, co-occurring condition treatment, and data sharing. This bill lets states use Medicaid to pay psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment facilities for up to 30 days of care per year for adults with serious mental illness, if the facilities meet screening, care coordination, and 72-hour discharge follow-up requirements.

Where it stands

HR10647, the IMD CARE Act, was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on October 1, 2026 and sits at the starting point of the committee stage, with no hearing or markup scheduled in our calendar data. Committee action is the ordinary route but not the only one, since House leadership, suspension, a special rule, or a discharge petition could provide another path.

Strengthening Innovation in Medicare and Medicaid Act

Adrian Smith (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would restrict how the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation tests and expands payment and service delivery models by capping Phase I tests at 5 years and at the lesser of 10 percent of applicable individuals or 500,000 beneficiaries, limiting the agency to at most 6 new Phase I models per year and no more than 5 concurrent mandatory-participation models starting in fiscal year 2027. It would also require a plan within 60 days for providers to get waivers from model requirements that cause undue economic hardship or reduce access to care for vulnerable populations, real-time monitoring and mitigation of adverse impacts on beneficiaries, a public notice and comment process with at least a 45-day comment period before models are set up, tested, or expanded, disclosure to participating providers and suppliers of the actuarial assumptions and data behind certification decisions, an expedited congressional disapproval process under which a proposed model testing, expansion, or modification goes forward only if Congress does not pass a joint resolution against it within 45 days, partially restored judicial review of model decisions, annual instead of biennial reporting to Congress starting in 2027, repeal of the current prohibition on providers participating in certain overlapping Medicare value-based programs, and reports from the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Comptroller General on alternative payment model overlap and the agency's workforce efforts. This bill gives hospitals and other providers in Medicare and Medicaid payment models hardship waivers, access to the Chief Actuary's assumptions, newly eligible hospital-based care models, but caps new model tests at six per year.

Where it stands

H.R. 10706 was referred on October 1, 2026 to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the House Committees on Ways and Means and Rules, for a period to be determined by the Speaker. It sits at the start of the committee stage, with no hearing or markup noticed in the calendar data for any of the three referred committees, and each chair is a gatekeeper for the bill.

Integrity for Taxpayers Act

David J. Taylor (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would tighten federal health care program exclusion rules so the HHS Inspector General can bar an entity from Medicare and Medicaid when that entity was owned or controlled by a sanctioned person at the time of the person's conviction, civil monetary penalty, or exclusion, even if the ownership has since changed hands. It would apply the same timing rule to individuals, allowing exclusion of a person who was an officer or controlling owner of a sanctioned entity at the time of the sanction, and it would fix a cross-reference in the underlying definition.

Where it stands

HR10716, the Integrity for Taxpayers Act, was referred on October 1, 2026 to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and in addition to the House Committee on Ways and Means, with the period of each referral to be determined by the Speaker. The bill is now at the committee stage, where hearings are optional and a markup happens only if a chair notices one.

GME Transparency Act of 2026

Ashley Moody (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would require hospitals that receive Medicare payments for direct graduate medical education costs to submit deidentified information on the citizenship and immigration status of their residents to the federal government within 180 days after each fiscal year, with the first report covering the first fiscal year after enactment. It would also require the federal health agency to send Congress an annual report, due 270 days after each fiscal year, counting residents by status category and state, and to give hospitals a standardized form for their submissions, while a hospital's residency program that fails to report would not count as an approved program under the Medicare rules. This bill requires hospitals receiving Medicare direct graduate medical education payments to report deidentified citizenship status information on their residents each year or lose approved residency program status and the Medicare payments tied to it.

Where it stands

S5612, the GME Transparency Act of 2026, was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance on September 30, 2026 and sits at the committee stage, with no committee meetings scheduled in available calendar data.

John Lewis Equality in Medicare and Medicaid Treatment Act of 2026

Cory A. Booker (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to weigh health equity and health disparities when selecting and evaluating its payment and service delivery models, and to consult with federal minority health, rural health, and women's health offices before choosing models. It would also direct the Center to begin testing a new social determinants of health payment model by the end of 2027, covering behavioral health services, capacity building in underserved areas, and care for Medicaid-eligible pregnant and postpartum women.

Where it stands

S5627 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance on September 30, 2026. It now sits at the committee stage, which is where most Senate bills stall, and no committee meeting is scheduled in our calendar data.

Health CARE Act of 2026

Mark R. Warner (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal would repeal most health provisions of the 2025 reconciliation law and then make sweeping changes to the health system, including permanently expanding Affordable Care Act premium tax credits beyond the current income cap, creating a low-cost public health plan option through the Exchanges, and boosting federal Medicaid matching funds. It would also cap yearly out-of-pocket and insulin costs for people with health plans, add Medicare coverage for hearing aids and audiology services, extend Medicare drug price negotiation and inflation rebates into the commercial insurance market, ban abusive spread pricing by pharmacy benefit managers in Medicaid, and impose new price and billing transparency requirements on hospitals, labs, imaging centers, health plans, and providers, backed by daily penalties for noncompliance. This bill requires hospitals and other health care providers to publicly post standard charges quarterly, share claims data and pricing criteria with plans, give advance benefit explanations, and restricts billing and collections, while granting more insured patients and 340B drug payment benefits.

Where it stands

The Health CARE Act of 2026 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance on September 24, 2026. It is now at the committee stage, the first and most common choke point in the Senate, where most bills never advance to a markup.

Domestic Manufacturing Revitalization Act of 2026

Bill Cassidy (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would create a Medicare pilot program requiring hospitals whose Medicare payments over the prior five years exceeded the hospital average to buy at least 40 percent of their personal protective equipment and medical consumables from domestic producers, with Medicare payments to participating hospitals that fall short cut by 2 percent for one missed year rising to 8 percent after seven missed years, while participating hospitals are reimbursed for their domestic purchases from tariff revenue the bill collects. It would also impose a 300 percent tariff on a list of imported medical supplies, phased in from 10 percent of the increase after 180 days to the full amount after 5 years, and give tax credits to US manufacturers of 25 cents per N95 respirator, 10 cents per surgical mask, and smaller or larger amounts for other items such as gloves, gowns, and ventilators, plus a 20 percent credit for building PPE manufacturing facilities. This bill requires hospitals with above-average Medicare payments that join the pilot to buy at least 40 percent of their PPE and consumables domestically, report purchases in cost reports, face Medicare cuts up to 8 percent for shortfalls, and get reimbursed for domestic spending.

Where it stands

S. 5513 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance on September 24, 2026, so it sits at the committee stage, where most Senate bills stop. Nothing in the record shows any further action, and no committee meeting appears on the calendar.

CARE for Moms Act

Richard J. Durbin (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The CARE for Moms Act would spend roughly $300 million over five years on maternal health, creating grant programs for perinatal quality collaboratives ($35 million a year), regional centers for implicit bias training ($5 million a year), a $50 million doula workforce program, and rural mobile obstetric health units ($10 million a year), while requiring Medicaid and CHIP to cover 12 months of continuous postpartum care, dental care for pregnant and postpartum women, and a 90 percent federal match for obstetric services at rural hospitals. To help pay for it, the bill would roughly double federal excise taxes on cigarettes and raise taxes on cigars, pipe tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and smokeless tobacco, while taxing nicotine products like pouches and lozenges at a rate matched to cigarettes, with annual inflation adjustments and a floor stocks tax on inventory on hand when the higher rates take effect. This bill gives rural hospitals higher federal Medicaid reimbursement for obstetric services and postpartum care, funds perinatal quality collaboratives, and requires any hospital closing an obstetric unit to give 90 days advance notice with a community impact report.

Where it stands

S5515 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance on September 24, 2026. It now sits at the committee stage, where most bills in this chamber stall.

Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Centers Act of 2026

Alma S. Adams (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would create a new federal grant program to set up sickle cell disease treatment centers organized as hub-and-spoke networks, pairing medical hubs like hospitals and university health centers with spokes such as community health centers and primary care providers, plus community-based nonprofits, to deliver coordinated lifelong care. It would also create a National Sickle Cell Disease Coordinating Center, expand CDC data collection on sickle cell disease, and authorize unlimited appropriations for fiscal year 2027 and beyond, with 70 percent of funds going to hub-and-spoke networks, 20 percent to community-based organizations, and 5 percent each to the coordinating center and CDC data activities.

Where it stands

HR10531 was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on September 24, 2026 and is at the starting point of the ordinary House route, where the committee chair decides whether the bill ever gets a hearing or a markup. No further dated action or scheduled meeting appears in the record.

Chloe Cole Act of 2026

Robert F. Onder, Jr. (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would let people who received puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or related gender-transition surgeries as minors, along with their parents or guardians, sue the health care professionals, hospitals, and clinics that provided those treatments in federal court for compensatory, emotional distress, and in some cases punitive damages. Suits could reach conduct from before or after the bill becomes law, providers would face strict liability for post-enactment treatments proven by clear and convincing evidence, and claims could be filed up to 25 years after the plaintiff turns 18 or within 4 years of incurring the cost of care to reverse a prior treatment, whichever is later. This bill exposes hospitals and health systems that provide puberty blockers, hormones, or transition-related surgeries to minors to federal lawsuits for damages, including strict liability after enactment, with claims possible up to 25 years later.

Where it stands

On July 15, 2026, the House Committee on the Judiciary held its markup and ordered the Chloe Cole Act of 2026 reported to the House as amended by a vote of 15 to 8, so the bill has cleared its committee. The adopted amendment text is not on file, so the operative language remains the latest published print with amended text pending, and no calendar placement is on the record.

FCHIP Extension Act

John Hoeven (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would extend the Frontier Community Health Integration Project Demonstration, a Medicare program serving frontier communities, by lengthening its authorized period from 5 years to 10 years, with the change taking effect on December 31, 2026, when the original 5-year period would have run out. This bill doubles the Medicare FCHIP demonstration period from 5 years to 10 years, letting hospitals in frontier communities that participate in the program keep receiving its Medicare funding and support through December 2026 and beyond.

Where it stands

S5462, the FCHIP Extension Act, was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance on September 23, 2026. It now sits at the committee stage, the Senate's most common choke point, where most bills never reach a markup.

Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Centers Act of 2026

Chris Van Hollen (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would create a federal grant program to set up sickle cell disease treatment centers built on hub-and-spoke networks of hospitals, clinics, university health centers, local providers, and community-based nonprofits, coordinated by a new national center and a CDC data collection effort. It would authorize unlimited appropriations for these activities starting in fiscal year 2027, with 70 percent of the money going to the hub-and-spoke networks, 20 percent to community-based organizations, 5 percent to the coordinating center, and 5 percent to the CDC data program.

Where it stands

S5488 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on September 23, 2026, so it sits at the committee stage, the chamber's most frequent choke point, where most bills never get a markup. No markup or other committee action is scheduled in our calendar data.

Tyler’s Law

Jim Banks (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to complete, within 3 years of enactment, a study of how often hospital and freestanding emergency departments test overdose patients for fentanyl and other controlled substances, including the costs, benefits, risks, staff training needs, patient privacy effects, and barriers to such testing, and then to issue guidance within 9 months after the study's completion on whether that testing should become routine and what federal resources can help departments implement it. The bill would not itself mandate fentanyl testing, though its guidance could push emergency departments toward adopting it. This bill directs HHS to study how often hospital emergency departments test for fentanyl and then issue guidance on routine testing, which could bring hospital emergency departments new testing costs, staff training, and protocol changes.

Where it stands

The Senate passed S.921 with an amendment by unanimous consent on March 23, 2026, and the bill was held at the desk in the House on March 24, 2026. It is no longer before the Senate; the measure now sits pending in the House, which is the only chamber whose action matters next.

Health Infrastructure Security and Accountability Act of 2026

Mark R. Warner (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would require health care providers, health plans, clearinghouses, and their business associates to meet new minimum and enhanced federal cybersecurity standards, run annual security risk analyses and stress tests, publish compliance statements on public websites, hire independent auditors, and pay a new user fee capped at $40 million in 2028 and $50 million in 2029, with civil penalties of up to $5,000 per day and felony charges of up to $1 million in fines and 10 years in prison for false or missing reports. It would also send $800 million in Medicare payments to critical access and eligible high-needs hospitals in fiscal years 2029 and 2030 and $500 million in fiscal years 2031 and 2032 to adopt cybersecurity practices, while cutting Medicare payments for hospitals that do not adopt them, and it would let Medicare make accelerated and advance payments to hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and other providers and suppliers whose claims processing is disrupted by a cyber incident. This bill requires hospitals and other HIPAA covered entities to meet new cybersecurity rules with annual risk analyses, audits, fees, and penalties, while paying hospitals $1.3 billion in Medicare incentives and cutting payments for those that do not adopt the practices, plus accelerated Medicare payments after cyber incidents.

Where it stands

S5443 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance on September 17, 2026, so it is at the committee stage, the first and most common choke point in the Senate. No markup or other committee meeting is scheduled in our calendar data, and the Finance chair schedules any markup.

Educating Future Nurses Act

Lauren Underwood (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would create a national graduate nurse education program under Medicare under which eligible hospitals get paid for the reasonable clinical training costs of teaching advanced practice registered nurses, at a per-student rate adjusted for inflation and funded by transfers from the Medicare trust funds. To get paid, a hospital would have to lead a regional Graduate Nurse Education Hub with nursing schools and non-hospital community care partners, submit annual reports, and would face a 25 percent payment cut if it fails to report. This bill lets eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals receive Medicare payment for their reasonable costs of nurse clinical education programs, but requires hospitals to reimburse their non-hospital community partners for the training they provide.

Where it stands

HR10410, the Educating Future Nurses Act, was referred on September 16, 2026 to the House Committee on Ways and Means and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for periods to be determined by the Speaker, and no hearing or markup is scheduled in our calendar data.

Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act of 2026

Val T. Hoyle (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would make it illegal for any business entity not majority-owned and controlled by licensed physicians or other advanced practice providers to own or run a medical practice or employ licensed clinicians, with exceptions for nonprofits, public providers, hospitals, and certain rural and hospital-affiliated clinics, and its requirements would take effect one year after enactment. It would also void non-compete and nondisclosure agreements for employed clinicians, keeping non-competes enforceable only against licensees who hold at least a quarter of the practice, bar management services organizations from owning practice equity or controlling clinical, hiring, billing, or contracting decisions, and let the Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, and private plaintiffs sue violators for treble damages, attorney fees, divestment of entities, and disgorgement of the revenue from divested entities. This bill exempts hospitals, hospital-affiliated clinics, critical access hospitals, rural emergency hospitals, and nonprofit or public providers from its corporate-practice-of-medicine ban, while prohibiting hospitals, health care providers, and management services organizations from entering non-compete and certain non-disclosure agreements.

Where it stands

HR 10444 was referred on September 16, 2026 to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and, in addition, to the House Committee on Ways and Means, with the periods of reference to be subsequently determined by the Speaker. The bill is at the earliest committee stage; each committee chair alone decides whether a hearing or markup is noticed, and none appears in the available calendar data.

Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act of 2026

Elizabeth Warren (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would make it unlawful for any company that is not majority-owned and controlled by licensed physicians and advanced practice providers to own a medical practice, employ such licensed professionals, or practice medicine, with carve-outs for nonprofit providers, hospitals, hospital-affiliated clinics, and certain rural hospitals. It would also void non-compete and non-disclosure agreements for licensees except non-competes with licensees owning at least 25 percent of a practice, bar health care providers from interfering with clinicians' professional judgment, impose sweeping restrictions on management services organizations including arm's-length fair-market-value contracting, and allow enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission, private plaintiffs with treble damages, and state attorneys general, with courts able to order divestment and disgorgement, violations also grounds for exclusion from federal health programs, and all requirements taking effect one year after enactment. This bill exempts nonprofit and public hospitals, hospital-affiliated clinics, critical access hospitals, and rural emergency hospitals from its ban on corporate ownership of medical practices, but bars all health care providers from interfering with clinicians' professional judgment and exposes violators to divestment and disgorgement.

Where it stands

S5419 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on September 16, 2026, and no hearing, markup, or calendar placement appears in the record. Referral places the bill at the committee stage, the chamber's most common choke point, where most bills go no further.

Health Care Accountability Mission Act of 2026

Chuck Edwards (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would let Medicare officials fine hospitals up to $10,000 per day when a hospital that is not a nonprofit fails to comply with Medicare participation requirements in a way that immediately jeopardizes patient health or safety, and only if the hospital had a similar finding against it within the past 2 years. It would also require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to post these hospital failure determinations on a public, centralized website. This bill lets Medicare fine for-profit hospitals up to $10,000 per day for repeated safety-jeopardizing compliance failures and post those findings publicly, while exempting nonprofit, critical access, and rural emergency hospitals.

Where it stands

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on September 8, 2026 and sits at the committee stage, with no hearing or markup noticed in our calendar data.

Behavioral Health Crisis Services Expansion Act of 2026

Jennifer L. McClellan (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would require Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, TRICARE, VA reimbursement, federal employee health plans, and private group and individual health insurance to cover mental health and substance use crisis response services, including mobile crisis teams, crisis receiving and stabilization facilities, and mental health urgent care facilities, with the new coverage generally starting 3 years after enactment. It would also set Medicare payment for those services at 80 percent of the lesser of the actual charge or a new payment basis set by the Secretary, and require coverage of ambulance transport of people in crisis to appropriate crisis facilities. This bill requires Medicare, Medicaid, and other public and private health plans to cover mental health and substance use crisis response services, giving hospitals a new guaranteed payer for these services, though community crisis facilities would also compete for emergency and psychiatric patients.

Where it stands

The bill was referred on September 3, 2026 to six committees: Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Armed Services, Veterans' Affairs, Oversight and Government Reform, and Education and Workforce. On September 10, 2026 it was referred to the Subcommittee on Health, and no hearing or markup has been noticed.

Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act

Jill N. Tokuda (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would loosen the rules for the Medicare and Medicaid rural emergency hospital designation, reopening eligibility to facilities that closed at any point during a period beginning on January 1, 2015, directing the Secretary to waive certain requirements for similar facilities, and letting designated hospitals keep licensed psychiatric, rehabilitation, and obstetric units, furnish skilled nursing care through swing bed agreements at reasonable cost, regain their prior necessary provider status if they convert back to critical access hospitals (as long as they held that status before converting), qualify for National Health Service Corps placement as shortage-area sites, and receive small rural hospital improvement grants. It would also pay rural emergency hospitals 5 percent above the normal fee schedule for diagnostic laboratory tests that are not covered outpatient department services starting on January 1, 2027, and require Medicaid to cover rural emergency hospital services, including care in a distinct nursing facility unit of such a hospital. This bill helps rural hospitals by reopening rural emergency hospital eligibility, letting them keep psychiatric, rehab, and obstetric units, adding a 5 percent lab test payment boost, Medicaid coverage, swing beds, grants, and clinician placements.

Where it stands

HR 10293 was referred on September 3, 2026 to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and, in addition, to the House Committee on Ways and Means, with the period for each referral to be subsequently determined by the Speaker. It is at the very start of the committee stage: no hearing or markup is scheduled in the available calendar data for either committee.

GREEN Hospitals Act

Pramila Jayapal (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill authorizes $100 billion for construction grants and $5 billion for planning grants to help hospitals and health centers build climate-resilient infrastructure. It requires applicants to provide labor protections and prioritizes projects that serve vulnerable communities and reduce emissions. This bill makes hospitals and health systems eligible for $100 billion in construction grants and $5 billion in planning grants for climate-resilient facilities, provided applicants meet labor conditions like prevailing wages, collective bargaining assurances, adequate staffing, and staffing agency certifications.

Where it stands

HR10209 was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on September 1, 2026, and no upcoming meetings are scheduled in the available calendar data.

Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025

Tim Scott (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill would extend the authorization for rural health care services outreach, rural health network development, and small health care provider quality improvement grant programs through 2030. It would require grant recipients to use funds to address the needs of rural underserved populations and involve those communities in project development and operations.

Where it stands

S. 2301 was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on July 16, 2025, marked up on July 30, 2025, and reported without a written report on September 8, 2025. It is currently placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders as Calendar No. 153.

Local Health Care Protection Act of 2026

Hillary J. Scholten (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal would allow hospitals that lose their drug discount program eligibility due to Medicaid cuts to keep their discounted drug prices through 2030 if they otherwise meet program rules. It also requires a federal study on how declining Medicaid payments affect rural hospital services. This bill lets hospitals that lose their Medicaid disproportionate share adjustment stay in the 340B drug discount program through 2030, keeping cheaper outpatient drug prices, and funds a federal study on how falling Medicaid payments affect rural hospital services.

Where it stands

HR10134 was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on August 20, 2026. No upcoming meetings are scheduled in the current calendar data.

Nurse Overtime and Patient Safety Act of 2026

Doris O. Matsui (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill prohibits Medicare providers from requiring nurses to work mandatory overtime beyond 48 hours in a workweek or 12 consecutive hours in a 24-hour period, with exceptions for declared emergencies. Violations subject providers to civil money penalties of up to $10,000 per knowing violation and require them to post notices of nurses' rights. This bill directly restricts hospitals and other Medicare providers by prohibiting them from requiring nurses to work beyond 12 consecutive hours or 48 hours weekly, with civil money penalties up to $10,000 per knowing violation and posting requirements.

Where it stands

HR 10056 was referred on August 6, 2026, to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Ways and Means. Both committee chairs act as gatekeepers for the provisions within their respective jurisdictions.

Nurse Overtime and Patient Safety Act

Jeff Merkley (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This act would prohibit hospitals and other Medicare-participating providers from requiring nurses to work mandatory overtime beyond scheduled shifts, 48 hours per week, or 12 consecutive hours in a 24-hour period. It would also establish whistleblower protections and civil money penalties for providers that violate these work-hour limits or retaliate against nurses who refuse such overtime. This bill directly restricts hospitals, including general medical, surgical, and psychiatric facilities, by barring mandatory nurse overtime beyond scheduled shifts, 48 hours weekly, or 12 consecutive hours, and imposing documentation, posting duties, whistleblower protections, and civil money penalties up to $10,000 per violation.

Where it stands

S5319 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance on August 6, 2026, placing it in the committee stage. The companion HR10056 is also pending in the House, while the prior version S3860 remains unreported.

Mothers and Newborns Success Act

Tim Kaine (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill would authorize roughly $533 million in federal grant funding from fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to improve maternal and infant health, including $53 million a year for state maternal health innovation grants, $50 million a year for a new National Maternal Health Research Network at the NIH, $5 million a year for a postpartum care coordination pilot program limited to 10 grantees, $12 million a year for rural maternity and telehealth grants, and $2 million a year for a national public awareness campaign on maternal health warning signs and vaccinations. It would also fund CDC grants to classify birthing facilities by their level of maternal and newborn care, improve the accuracy of pregnancy data on death certificates, expand pregnancy risk survey data collection to all states and tribes, and require federal agencies to report to Congress on the results of these programs. This bill offers hospitals and health systems, especially rural maternity facilities, new federal grant funding for postpartum care, rural obstetrics and telehealth, and birthing facility care-level classification.

Where it stands

S5449 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on September 22, 2026, and it sits at the earliest committee stage with no markup scheduled.

Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2026

Jeff Merkley (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill reauthorizes nursing workforce development programs and increases annual appropriations for education grants to $184.3 million and other grants to $121.1 million for fiscal years 2027 through 2031. It also establishes a new demonstration program to supplement nursing faculty salaries and creates a pilot program for state and regional nursing workforce centers. This bill funds clinical nursing education partnerships, so hospitals and health systems that partner with nursing schools gain federal support for training students, plus salary supplements for nursing faculty that can strengthen their workforce pipeline.

Where it stands

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions marked up S1874 on July 22, 2026 and reported it on July 28, 2026 without a written report. The measure is placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders as Calendar No. 527.

340B PATIENTS Act of 2025

Peter Welch (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This act would require drug manufacturers to provide discounted pricing to healthcare entities regardless of where a drug is dispensed and would prohibit manufacturers from placing restrictive conditions on these purchases. The measure would also establish civil monetary penalties of up to $2 million per day for manufacturers that intentionally violate these requirements by restricting delivery mechanisms or demanding excessive compliance data. This bill requires drug manufacturers to give 340B covered entities, including hospitals, discounted drug prices with no conditions on purchase or dispensing, and fines manufacturers up to $2 million daily for restricting access or demanding excessive data.

Where it stands

S2372 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on July 22, 2025, where it remains without a scheduled markup or hearing.

To reauthorize programs related to health professions education, and for other purposes.

Janice D. Schakowsky (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would reauthorize and extend federal funding through fiscal year 2030 for a set of existing health professions education and workforce programs under the Public Health Service Act, including Centers of Excellence, scholarships for disadvantaged students, primary care and dentistry training, geriatrics education, Area Health Education Centers, and public health workforce development, at specified annual amounts totaling roughly $317.6 million per year. It would also extend the authorization period of the National Center for Health Care Workforce Analysis and the pediatric specialty loan repayment program through 2030. This bill funds primary care and dental training at about $50 million a year through 2030, much of which runs through hospital residency programs, giving hospitals continued federal support for training their clinical workforce.

Where it stands

H.R. 4262 was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on June 30, 2025, and at a markup on September 10, 2025 the subcommittee voted by voice vote to forward the bill to the full committee with amendments. The full committee has taken no vote on the bill, and no further meeting is scheduled in the available calendar data.

Advancing Maternal Health Equity Under Medicaid Act

Nikema Williams (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill increases the federal government's share of Medicaid costs for maternal health services to 90 percent for spending that exceeds 2019 baseline levels. States must use these additional funds to expand capacity and quality in maternal care without replacing their existing state funding. This bill gives hospitals and health systems, including rural facilities that deliver maternal care, a 90 percent federal Medicaid match for maternal health spending above 2019 levels, requiring states to use the extra funds to expand and improve prenatal, delivery, and postpartum services.

Where it stands

HR4150 was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on June 25, 2025, placing it in the committee stage where the chair controls hearing and markup scheduling.

SPARC Act

Jacky Rosen (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill establishes a mandatory loan repayment program for specialty medicine physicians and an optional program for non-physician specialty health care providers, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, which pays up to $250,000 in eligible student loans in exchange for six years of full-time service in rural shortage areas. Non-physician providers are limited to 15 percent of program funds, and participants are prohibited from receiving loan forgiveness from other federal programs for the same service. This bill gives rural hospitals and health systems a larger supply of specialty physicians and other providers, who will practice locally in exchange for up to $250,000 in federal student loan repayment.

Where it stands

The SPARC Act is in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, where a full committee hearing was held on March 19, 2026. No markup or report has occurred, and the bill has not been placed on a calendar.

Protecting Options for Seniors Act of 2025

Claudia Tenney (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This act would increase Medicare Advantage payment rates for local areas where hospital wage indices rose by more than 20 percent due to reclassification, starting in 2026. It requires the government to publish detailed hospital payment data to calculate these adjustments while ensuring the total national spending remains neutral. This bill raises Medicare Advantage payment rates in areas where hospital wage indices rose sharply, giving insurers in those markets more funds to negotiate higher payments with hospitals, while publishing detailed hospital payment data.

Where it stands

HR 2610 was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 2, 2025, with no primary committee designated. This multiple referral gives each committee chair authority over whether the measure proceeds to a hearing or markup.

REDI Act

Brian Babin (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would allow medical and dental residents to defer payments on federal student loans without accruing interest during their internship or residency programs. This change applies specifically to borrowers enrolled in these medical training periods under the Higher Education Act. This bill lets hospitals that employ medical and dental residents recruit more easily, because those residents can defer federal student loan payments without accruing interest during internship and residency training at teaching institutions.

Where it stands

HR2028 is stalled in the House Committee on Education and Workforce following its referral on March 11, 2025. The committee chair controls whether a hearing or markup is scheduled, and no meetings are currently listed in the calendar data.

Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act

John Barrasso (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill sets a minimum Medicaid disproportionate share hospital allotment of $20 million per state for fiscal years 2025 through 2029. Starting in fiscal year 2030, this minimum amount will increase annually based on inflation. This bill guarantees hospitals in states with small Medicaid disproportionate share allotments at least $20 million per year through 2029, with inflation increases after, giving rural and safety-net hospitals a federal funding floor.

Where it stands

S474 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance on February 6, 2025, where it currently awaits action with no upcoming meetings scheduled.

Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2026

Jack Reed (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal would reauthorize the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program by providing $33,009,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031. It also extends the National Cord Blood Inventory program to 2031 and grants the Secretary of Health and Human Services authority to transfer cord blood units from banks that fail to meet quality standards. This bill renews federal funding of about $33 million a year through 2031 for the national stem cell transplantation program and cord blood inventory, supporting hospitals and transplant centers that perform these transplants and use qualified cord blood units.

Where it stands

S4109 was reported by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions following a markup on June 17, 2026, and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders with Calendar No. 443 on June 22, 2026. Since the bill was reported without a written report, no waiting period applies before consideration.

Stroke Education and EMS Care Improvement Act of 2026

George Latimer (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a National Standardized EMS Stroke Education Program within 2 years, setting a uniform stroke curriculum and training EMS clinicians nationwide, with online and telehealth options for remote areas. It would let the Secretary award competitive grants to state and local EMS agencies with priority for rural and underserved areas, track program results such as treatment times and mortality, report to Congress annually, and authorize whatever sums are needed for fiscal years 2027 through 2032. This bill would train EMS clinicians to recognize strokes and route patients to certified stroke centers, indirectly benefiting hospitals and health systems, especially rural facilities, through faster, better-directed stroke admissions.

Where it stands

HR10824 was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on October 15, 2026. It now sits at the earliest committee stage, with no hearing or markup noticed and no upcoming meetings listed in the calendar data.

9–8–8 Crisis Response Workforce Act

Troy A. Carter (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would expand federal behavioral health workforce training to focus on crisis response services, adding crisis management settings like crisis call centers, mobile crisis teams, and crisis receiving and stabilization facilities to existing minority fellowship and workforce education and training programs, and it would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect and publish data on the availability of and need for crisis response services in health professional shortage areas. It authorizes $25 million per year for fiscal years 2023 through 2027 for the minority fellowship program, $10 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for crisis-related fellowships, $50 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for workforce education and training grants, and an additional $10 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for crisis workforce development grants. This bill funds fellowships and grants to train psychiatrists, nurses, and addiction professionals for crisis roles, giving psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals a larger staff pipeline and new grant competition for behavioral health training dollars.

Where it stands

HR10722, the 9-8-8 Crisis Response Workforce Act, was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on October 5, 2026 and has had no further action since. In the House, this referral places the bill at the committee stage, where the committee chair decides whether a hearing or a markup is ever noticed.