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

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

Sec. 7901C. Medicare coverage of multi-cancer early detection screening tests

(a) Coverage. Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x), as amended by sections 2007, 4221, 4251, 6101, and 7419, is amended—

(1) in subsection (s)(2)—

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

(B) by inserting and at the end of subparagraph (NN); and

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

Text this section adds to the law

(OO) multi-cancer early detection screening tests (as defined in subsection (ttt));

; and

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

Text this section adds to the law

(ttt) Multi-Cancer early detection screening tests. The term multi-cancer early detection screening test means any of the following tests, approved or cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, furnished to an individual for the purpose of early detection of cancer across many cancer types (as categorized in the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer issued by the National Cancer Institute):

(1) A genomic sequencing blood or blood product test that includes the analysis of cell-free nucleic acids.

(2) Such other equivalent tests (which are based on urine or another sample of biological material) as the Secretary determines appropriate.

(b) Payment and frequency limit

(1) Payment under fee schedule. Section 1833(h) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(h)) is amended—

(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting after (including the following: multi-cancer early detection screening tests under section 1861(ttt) and including; and

(B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

Text this section adds to the law

(10) No payment may be made under this part for a multi-cancer early detection screening test (as defined in section 1861(ttt)) for an individual if such a test was furnished to the individual during the previous 11 months.

(2) Conforming amendment. Section 1862(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)) is amended—

(A) in paragraph (1)—

(i) in subparagraph (O), by striking and at the end;

(ii) in subparagraph (P), by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting , and; and

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

Text this section adds to the law

(Q) in the case of multi-cancer early detection screening tests (as defined in section 1861(ttt)), which are performed more frequently than is covered under section 1833(h)(10);

; and

(B) in paragraph (7), by striking or (P) and inserting (P), or (Q).

(c) Rule of construction relating to other cancer screening tests. Nothing in this section, including the amendments made by this section, shall be construed—

(1) in the case of an individual who undergoes a multi-cancer early detection screening test, to affect coverage under part B for other cancer screening tests covered under this section, such as screening tests for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer; or

(2) in the case of an individual who undergoes another cancer screening test, to affect coverage for a multi-cancer early detection screening test or the use of such a test as a diagnostic or confirmatory test for a result of the other cancer screening test.

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