At a September 15, 2026 hearing, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee examined 17 bills addressing Medicare provider payment, health care cybersecurity, and access to care.

Though many of the proposals focus primarily on physicians and other clinical providers rather than aging services organizations, several could have downstream implications for LeadingAge members and the older adults they serve.

Much of the hearing focused on longstanding concerns with the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, including payment instability, administrative complexity, and their potential effects on clinicians’ ability to furnish care. For aging services providers, physician payment policy matters in part because residents and clients depend on access to primary and specialty care, including clinicians who practice in nursing homes and other aging services settings.

Among the legislation discussed:

• HR 9693, the Patients First Act of 2026, would make broad changes to Medicare physician payment, including tying future payment updates to the Medicare Economic Index, establishing a hybrid primary care payment model, and overhauling Medicare’s physician quality payment system. The bill would also make changes affecting participation in alternative payment models and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Of potential relevance to aging services, future physician performance measures could include reductions in avoidable hospitalizations and medication burden, as well as referral patterns to the lowest-cost clinically appropriate care settings. These provisions could eventually intersect with post-acute care and other value-based payment arrangements involving LeadingAge members.
• HR 8163, the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act of 2026, seeks to reduce volatility in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule by changing Medicare’s budget-neutrality policies, reconciling projected utilization with actual experience, updating practice-expense inputs, and limiting certain year-to-year changes in the physician conversion factor. Although the bill does not change Medicare payment rates for nursing homes or other aging services providers, it would establish a more predictable Part B reimbursement structure as one way to support beneficiary access to clinicians.
• The Health Care Cybersecurity and Resiliency Act of 2026, currently a discussion draft, would strengthen coordination between the Department of Health and Human Services and federal cybersecurity agencies, update federal health care cybersecurity standards, provide technical assistance and training, and establish grants to help certain health care organizations implement cybersecurity best practices. The current grant provisions explicitly include organizations such as nonprofit hospitals and rural health clinics, but do not separately list nursing homes among eligible entities. Cybersecurity witness Greg Garcia of the Health Sector Coordinating Council specifically cited skilled nursing facilities among resource-constrained health care providers facing challenges including limited cybersecurity staff and expertise, outdated systems, and insufficient funding.
• HR 6130, the Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act, would establish Medicare coverage for certain FDA-cleared or approved blood-based tests for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias beginning in 2028. Expanded access to early detection could help older adults and families identify cognitive impairment earlier and plan for future treatment, care, and support needs.
• HR 3164, the Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act, would establish Medicare Part B coverage for certain services furnished by pharmacists when authorized under state law, including evaluation, testing, and treatment related to COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and strep throat. The proposal could expand access to timely care for Medicare beneficiaries, including older adults in communities where pharmacists may be more readily accessible than other health care professionals.

The subcommittee also considered two bills addressing access to diabetic foot care. HR 7905, the Diabetes Foot Health Access and Modernization Act, would recognize podiatrists as physicians under Medicaid and make changes to Medicare documentation requirements for therapeutic shoes for people with diabetes. HR 1616, the Promoting Access to Diabetic Shoes Act, would allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to satisfy certain Medicare documentation requirements for therapeutic footwear. Both could be relevant to older adults with diabetes, including residents of nursing homes and other aging services settings.

The September 15 event was a legislative hearing rather than a markup, so the subcommittee did not vote on the proposals or formally advance them.  Coming just before the House departs for its pre-election recess, the hearing’s timing is potentially noteworthy, suggesting that committee leaders are continuing to lay the groundwork for possible year-end action on health care legislation. The House is now entering an extended recess ahead of the November elections, leaving little legislative time in the 119th Congress.

Any health legislation enacted before the end of the year would likely need to move as part of a larger legislative package during the lame-duck session. Reviewing these proposals now gives lawmakers an opportunity to assess support, identify unresolved policy or drafting issues, and position measures that have sufficient consensus for possible inclusion in a year-end package.