H.R. 9877

Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026

Sponsor: Raul Ruiz

26 cosponsors
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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

I Territories Health Equity

1 Medicare

A Part A

B Part B

C Medicare Advantage (Part C)

D Part D

Sec. 4831. Automatic eligibility of certain low-income territorial residents for premium and cost-sharing subsidies under the medicare program; sunset of enhanced allotment program

(a) Automatic eligibility of certain low-Income territorial residents for premium and cost-Sharing subsidies under the medicare program

(1) In general. Section 1860D–14(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–114(a)(3)) is amended—

(A) in subparagraph (B)(v)—

(i) in subclause (I), by striking and at the end;

(ii) in subclause (II), by striking the period and inserting ; and; and

(iii) by inserting after subclause (II) the following new subclause:

Text this section adds to the law

(III) with respect to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, shall provide that any part D eligible individual who is enrolled for medical assistance under the State Medicaid plan of a territory (as defined in section 1935(f)) under title XIX (or a waiver of such a plan) shall be treated as a subsidy eligible individual described in paragraph (1).

; and

(B) in subparagraph (F), by adding at the end the following new sentence: The previous sentence shall not apply with respect to eligibility determinations for premium and cost-sharing subsidies under this section made on or after January 1, 2027..

(2) Conforming amendment. Section 1860D–31(j)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–141(j)(2)(D)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: The previous sentence shall not apply with respect to amounts made available to a State under this paragraph on or after January 1, 2026..

(b) Sunset of enhanced allotment program

(1) In general. Section 1935(e) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396u–5(e)) is amended—

(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting after such State the following: before January 1, 2027; and

(B) in paragraph (3)—

(i) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting after a year the following: (before 2027); and

(ii) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking a subsequent year and inserting each of fiscal years 2010 through 2026.

(2) Territory defined. Section 1935 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396u–5) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

Text this section adds to the law

(f) Territory defined. In this section, the term territory means Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.

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