Timely Access to Coverage Decisions Act of 2026

This bill sets deadlines for Medicare administrative contractors that make local decisions about which items and services Medicare covers in their areas. Contractors would have 60 days to decide whether a formal request for a new local coverage determination, or for reconsideration of an existing one, is complete, and would have to tell the requester in writing what information is missing. For complete requests, contractors would have 1 year to finish the review process. The bill lets interested parties, such as Medicare beneficiaries and providers in the area, ask the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review a contractor's reconsideration decision. It also requires contractors to publish draft determinations with their evidence, hold public meetings, consult an expert panel, accept public comments, and post responses before a new or substantially revised determination takes effect.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Neal P. Dunn Republican sponsor
• 3 cosponsors