Save MEDICARE Act of 2026

This bill changes how the federal government pays private Medicare Advantage and Medicare drug plans starting in 2028. It would stop counting diagnoses from chart reviews and health risk assessments when adjusting payments for enrollee health, end the quality bonus program after 2028, replace the county quartile benchmark system, and lower base payments to account for differences in enrollee health between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare. It sets deadlines for payment audits and appeals, adds penalties for overpayments, and requires Medicare Advantage and drug plans to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs for covered care it provides to their enrollees. It also lets states enforce Medicare Advantage rules and bans plans from paying providers financial incentives tied to diagnosis coding.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Lloyd Doggett Democrat sponsor
• 52 cosponsors