The Mothers and Newborns Success Act authorizes multiple federal grant programs aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality rates and addressing racial and geographic health disparities in the United States. Key provisions include funding for state-level innovation projects, a pilot program to coordinate postpartum care, and a new national research network established within the National Institutes of Health to study the causes of maternal death. The bill also supports telehealth initiatives to improve access to obstetric care in rural areas and mandates a public awareness campaign focused on recognizing health warning signs and increasing vaccination rates among pregnant women. These efforts are directed at state health departments, tribal organizations, and non-profit entities, with specific funding authorized for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
This Senate resolution designates the week of September 20 through September 26, 2026, as Telehealth Awareness Week to recognize the growing role of remote medical services in the United States. The bill highlights how telehealth helps patients access care despite workforce shortages, geographic distance, or mobility challenges, noting that a significant portion of Medicare beneficiaries now use these services. It urges stakeholders to raise public awareness about the benefits of telehealth and to highlight available resources for both providers and patients. Additionally, the resolution calls for the collection and analysis of data on telehealth impacts to promote continuous access across all communities.
The CHC REBASE Act of 2026 amends the Medicare program to adjust payment rates for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) so that they cover 100 percent of estimated reasonable costs by 2028, effectively removing previous financial caps on these services. To support this change, the bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to convene a working group with stakeholders from health centers, physicians, and CMS to review payment methodologies and recommend further modifications. Additionally, the legislation ensures that telehealth services provided by FQHCs and rural health clinics are paid at standard rates starting in 2027, treating associated costs as allowable expenses. The bill also mandates new guidance for Medicare Advantage plans to streamline "wraparound" payments to FQHCs and requires a Government Accountability Office report on how well these centers are included in insurance provider networks for underserved populations.
The Telehealth Reporting and Transparency Act of 2026 requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit an annual report to Congress detailing Medicare claims for telehealth services. The report must include data on claim volumes, geographic distribution, patient demographics such as age and income level, and potential barriers to access like broadband availability. Additionally, the bill mandates the creation of a public dashboard on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website that displays this aggregated information in a searchable format. A Government Accountability Office audit is also required within three to five years of enactment to evaluate the implementation of these reporting requirements.
The Accountable Produce is Medicine Act of 2026 directs the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to launch a five-year pilot program that tests a bundled payment model for chronic disease management. This initiative targets patients with conditions such as diabetes, obesity, or cardiovascular disease who reside in rural, medically underserved, or health professional shortage areas. Participating programs must provide a comprehensive package of services, including personalized nutrition counseling, remote patient monitoring, telehealth, and access to nutrient-dense foods, while prioritizing locally grown produce and regenerative agriculture. The model requires regular tracking of patient health metrics like weight and blood pressure, with the option for programs to assume financial risk for performance starting in the third year. All services under this pilot are provided without deductibles or copayments, aiming to evaluate whether these integrated food and medical interventions can improve health outcomes and reduce overall healthcare costs.
The Medicare at Home Act would add a new benefit to Medicare Part B that covers up to 20 hours per week of in-home personal care for beneficiaries who require assistance with daily living activities. To qualify, individuals must be certified by a physician as needing help with at least two basic or instrumental tasks, such as bathing, dressing, or meal preparation. The bill mandates that payment rates for these services reflect a reasonable wage floor for home care workers and requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to adjust monthly premiums to cover the cost of the new benefit. Implementation is scheduled to begin more than two years after enactment, following the development of regulations regarding worker qualifications and agency enrollment.
The Compassionate Care Act aims to improve how patients and their families plan for future medical care by launching a national public education campaign and creating a dedicated website to guide healthcare providers. The bill mandates that medical schools and training programs include specific end-of-life care and advance care planning in their curricula to better prepare future professionals. It also requires the development of new quality measures to track how well healthcare settings handle end-of-life care and extends telehealth rules to allow remote advance care planning consultations. Additionally, the legislation directs federal agencies to study the feasibility of a national advance directive registry and a uniform policy for these legal documents across different states.
The Kidd's Stuttering Act requires Medicaid and CHIP programs to include screening for childhood-onset fluency disorders, such as stuttering, in well-child visits for children aged 2 to 6. Starting in 2028, these screenings must be added to standard health quality measures, and by 2029, states must provide coverage for specific speech therapy services treating these disorders. The law ensures that coverage for stuttering therapy is not more restrictive than coverage for other speech and language disorders and allows these services to be delivered via telehealth. Additionally, managed care organizations and insurance plans must follow established rules to guarantee equal access to these treatments.
The Compassionate Care Act aims to improve how patients and their families plan for future medical decisions by promoting advance care planning, which involves discussing treatment preferences while a person is still able to participate. The bill directs the federal government to launch a public education campaign and create a dedicated website to help healthcare providers understand and integrate these planning tools into patient care. It also mandates the development of standardized quality measures for end-of-life care and requires medical schools to include specific training on palliative care and advance directives in their curricula. Additionally, the legislation makes permanent the use of telehealth for certain hospice recertifications and removes geographic restrictions on telehealth services used for advance care planning. Finally, the act authorizes several studies to evaluate barriers to a national uniform policy for advance directives and to explore the feasibility of a national registry for these documents.
The Virtual-Based Opioid Treatment for Veterans Act directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to launch a two-year pilot program aimed at expanding access to virtual opioid treatment for enrolled veterans who face barriers to in-person care. This initiative requires the VA to conduct outreach, build referral networks, and coordinate with other federal agencies to connect veterans with telehealth programs that combine medication and counseling in a single visit. The bill also mandates a study on treatment barriers and requires annual reports to Congress on the program's progress until the opioid crisis is no longer considered a public health emergency.
