H.R. 9877

Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026

Sponsor: Raul Ruiz

26 cosponsors
Follow this bill

Official summary

No official summary yet.

Text of the bill

Expand all

I Data collection and reporting

II Culturally and linguistically appropriate health and health care

III Health workforce diversity

A Diversifying the health care workplace

B Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Behavioral and Mental Health Workforce

C ACCESS in Mental Health Act

D Developing the Community Health Workforce Act

IV Improving Health Care Access and Quality

A Reducing Barriers to Accessing Care

B Improvement of Coverage

C Expansion of Access

1 General Provisions

2 Rural

3 Indian Communities

4 Providers

5 Dental

D Advancing Health Equity Through Payment and Delivery Reform

E Health Empowerment Zones

F Equitable Health Care for All

G Investing in Equity

H Miscellaneous

Sec. 4701. Coverage for acupuncturist services under the Medicare program

(a) In general. Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x), as amended by section 2007(b), is amended—

(1) in subsection (s)(2)—

(A) in subparagraph (JJ), by striking and at the end;

(B) in subparagraph (KK), by inserting and after the semicolon; and

(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

Text this section adds to the law

(LL) qualified acupuncturist services (as defined in subsection (ppp)(1));

; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

Text this section adds to the law

(ppp) Qualified acupuncturist services

(1) In general. The term qualified acupuncturist services means such services furnished by a qualified acupuncturist (as defined in paragraph (2)), and such services and supplies furnished as an incident to services furnished by the qualified acupuncturist, as the qualified acupuncturist is legally authorized to perform under State law.

(2) Qualified acupuncturist defined. For purposes of this subsection, the term qualified acupuncturist means— In specifying requirements under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may use the same requirements as those established by a certification authority described in such subparagraph.

(A) an individual who is licensed as an acupuncturist by a State or, in the case of an individual in a State that does not provide for such licensure, meets such criteria (such as certification through an appropriate nationally recognized certification authority for acupuncturists) as the Secretary may specify; or

(B) a physician who is legally authorized to perform acupuncture as part of the practice of medicine and surgery by the State in which the physician performs such function or action.

(b) Payment rules

(1) Payment under physician fee schedule. Section 1848(j)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–4(j)(3)) is amended by inserting (2)(LL), before (3),.

(2) Separate payment for services of institutional providers. Section 1833(a)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(2)(B)) is amended—

(A) in clause (i), by inserting and in the case of qualified acupuncturist services, after 1999,;

(B) in clause (ii), by inserting or in the case of qualified acupuncturist services, after 1999,; and

(C) in clause (iii), by inserting (other than qualified acupuncturist services) after such services.

(3) Qualified acupuncturist treatment as a practitioner. Section 1842(b)(18)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(18)(C)) is amended by adding at the end the following new clause:

Text this section adds to the law

(ix) A qualified acupuncturist (as defined in section 1861(ppp)(2)).

(4) Separate billing for acupuncturist services furnished in an inpatient hospital setting. Section 1861(b)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(b)(4)) is amended by inserting qualified acupuncturist services, after qualified psychologist services,.

(c) Effective date. The amendments made by this section apply with respect to services furnished on or after the date that is 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act.

I Territories Health Equity

1 Medicare

A Part A

B Part B

C Medicare Advantage (Part C)

D Part D

2 Miscellaneous

V Improving health outcomes for women, gender-diverse people, children, and families

A Underserved communities

B Pregnancy screening

C Pregnancy-Related care

D Federal agency coordination on maternal health

E Reproductive and Sexual Health

F Children’s Health

G Elder Care

H Miscellaneous provisions

VI Mental health and substance use disorders

A Access to care and funding streams

B Interprofessional care

C Workforce development

D Children’s mental health

E Community-Based care

F Reports

G Miscellaneous provisions

VII Addressing high-impact minority diseases

A Cancer

B Viral hepatitis and liver cancer control and prevention

C Acquired bone marrow failure diseases

D Cardiovascular disease, chronic disease, obesity, and other disease issues

E HIV/AIDS

F Diabetes

G Lung disease

H Tuberculosis

I Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases

J Sleep and circadian rhythm disorders

K Kidney disease research, surveillance, prevention, and treatment

L Diversity in clinical trials

M Additional provisions addressing high-impact minority diseases

N Health Equity and Rare Disease Act

O Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention

P New Era of Preventing End-Stage Kidney Disease

VIII Health Information Technology

A Reducing Health Disparities Through Health IT

B Modifications To Achieve Parity in Existing Programs

C Additional Research and Studies

D Closing Gaps in Funding To Adopt Certified EHRs

E Expanding Access to Telehealth Services

IX Accountability and Evaluation

X Addressing Social Determinants and Improving Environmental Justice

A In General

B Gun Violence

C Nutrition for women, children, families

1 Senior hunger prevention

2 Closing the meal gap

D Universal school meals

1 School breakfast program

2 School lunch program

3 Elementary and secondary education data

4 Amendments to other programs and laws

XI Protections to combat regulatory harm to health equity