John Lewis Equality in Medicare and Medicaid Treatment Act of 2026

Medicare and Medicaid's testing office would have to try a payment program aimed at health gaps by the end of 2027.

More about this bill

If you get Medicare or Medicaid, a new test program could change how some of your care is paid for. Medicare's testing office would have to start one by the end of 2027. That office (the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation) tries out new ways to pay for care. It would focus on social factors outside the doctor's office that affect health. The test would run in a region the government picks. It would try new ways to pay for and deliver behavioral health care. It would also aim to add care in places with too few doctors and clinics. One part would focus on Medicaid patients who are pregnant or up to one year past giving birth. The office would also have to weigh health equity (fair access to good care across groups) for its other tests. For tests that start in 2027 or later, it would check whether a test improves health equity. It could also weigh whether a test would shrink health gaps for minority and rural patients. A test could keep going if it improves health equity without raising costs. Before choosing a test, the office would consult federal offices on minority, rural, and women's health. Its reports to Congress would add how much money closing health gaps saves. The bill does not add new funding.