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–5. Treat and Reduce Obesity Act

(a) Authority To expand health care providers qualified To furnish intensive behavioral therapy. Section 1861(ddd) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(ddd)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

Text this section adds to the law

(4)

(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary may, in addition to qualified primary care physicians and other primary care practitioners, cover intensive behavioral therapy for obesity furnished by any of the following:

(i) A physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1)) who is not a qualified primary care physician.

(ii) Any other appropriate health care provider (including a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist (as those terms are defined in subsection (aa)(5)), a clinical psychologist, a registered dietitian or nutrition professional (as defined in subsection (vv))).

(iii) An evidence-based, community-based lifestyle counseling program approved by the Secretary.

(B) In the case of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity furnished by a provider described in clause (ii) or (iii) of subparagraph (A), the Secretary may only cover such therapy if such therapy is furnished—

(i) upon referral from, and in coordination with, a physician or primary care practitioner operating in a primary care setting or any other setting specified by the Secretary; and

(ii) in an office setting, a hospital outpatient department, a community-based site that complies with the Federal regulations concerning the privacy of individually identifiable health information promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or another setting specified by the Secretary.

(C) In order to ensure a collaborative effort, the coordination described in subparagraph (B)(i) shall include the health care provider or lifestyle counseling program communicating to the referring physician or primary care practitioner any recommendations or treatment plans made regarding the therapy.

(b) Medicare part d coverage of obesity medication

(1) In general. Section 1860D–2(e)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–102(e)(2)(A)) is amended, in the first sentence—

(A) by striking and other than and inserting other than; and

(B) by inserting after benzodiazepines), the following: and other than subparagraph (A) of such section if the drug is used for the treatment of obesity (as defined in section 1861(yy)(2)(C)) or for weight loss management for an individual who is overweight (as defined in section 1861(yy)(2)(F)(i)) and has 1 or more related comorbidities,.

(2) Effective date. The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall apply to plan years beginning on or after the date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section.

(c) Report to congress

(1) In general. Not later than the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit a report to Congress describing the steps the Secretary has taken to implement the provisions of, and amendments made by, this section.

(2) Recommendations. Such report shall also include recommendations for better coordination and leveraging of programs within the Department of Health and Human Services and other Federal agencies that relate in any way to supporting appropriate research and clinical care (such as any interactions between physicians and other health care providers and their patients) to treat, reduce, and prevent obesity in the adult population.

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