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

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

Sec. 6406. Strategies to increase access to telehealth under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program

(a) Guidance

(1) In general. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall issue and disseminate guidance to States to clarify strategies to overcome existing barriers and increase access to telehealth under the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) and the Children’s Health Insurance Program under title XXI of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.).

(2) Contents. The guidance described in paragraph (1) shall include technical assistance and best practices regarding—

(A) telehealth delivery of services furnished under such programs;

(B) recommended voluntary billing codes, modifiers, and place-of-service designations for telehealth and other virtual health care services;

(C) the simplification or alignment (including through reciprocity) of provider licensing, credentialing, and enrollment protocols with respect to telehealth across States, State Medicaid plans under such title XIX, and Medicaid managed care organizations, including during national public health emergencies;

(D) existing strategies States can use to integrate telehealth and other virtual health care services into value-based health care models; and

(E) examples of States that have used waivers under the Medicaid program to test expanded access to telehealth, including during the emergency period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)(B)).

(b) Studies and reports to Congress

(1) Telehealth impact on health care access

(A) In general. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission shall conduct a study, and submit to Congress a report, on the impact of telehealth on health care access, utilization, cost, and outcomes, broken down by race, ethnicity, sex, age, disability status, and ZIP Code, with respect to a minimum of 10 States across geographic regions of the United States.

(B) Report contents. The report required under subparagraph (A) shall—

(i) evaluate cost, access, utilization, outcomes, and patient experience data from across the health care field, including States, Medicaid managed care organizations, provider organizations, and other organizations that provide or pay for telehealth under the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) and the Children’s Health Insurance Program under title XXI of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.);

(ii) identify barriers and potential solutions to provider entry and participation in telehealth that States are experiencing, as well as barriers to providing telehealth across State lines, including during times of public health crisis or public health emergency;

(iii) determine the frequency at which out-of-State telehealth is provided to patients enrolled in the Medicaid program under such title XIX and the potential impact on access to telehealth if State Medicaid policies were more aligned; and

(iv) identify and evaluate opportunities for more alignment among such policies to promote access to telehealth across all States, State Medicaid plans under such title XIX, State child health plans under such title XXI, and Medicaid managed care organizations, including the potential for regional compacts or reciprocity agreements.

(2) Federal agency telehealth collaboration

(A) In general. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study, and submit to Congress a report, evaluating collaboration between Federal agencies with respect to telehealth services furnished under the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) or the Children's Health Insurance Program under title XXI of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.) to individuals under the age of 18, including such services furnished to such individuals in early care and education settings.

(B) Report contents. The report required under subparagraph (A) shall include recommendations on—

(i) opportunities for Federal agencies to improve collaboration with respect to the telehealth services described in such subparagraph; and

(ii) opportunities for collaboration between Federal agencies to expand telehealth access to individuals under the age of 18 that are enrolled in the programs described in such subparagraph, including in early care and education settings.

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