The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on June 25, 2026, marked up several healthcare bills aimed at increasing price transparency in healthcare and improving how Medicare Advantage (MA) plans operate. A subcommittee markup gives lawmakers their first opportunity to formally debate and revise legislation. Most of the bills considered advanced with little debate or change, though lawmakers signaled they may continue refining the drafts before the full committee takes them up in the coming weeks.

Bills considered at the Subcommittee’s markup include:

• HR 3514, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, would streamline prior authorization in MA by requiring plans to establish electronic prior authorization programs, standardize response times, and meet certain reporting requirements on the plan’s use of prior authorization. LeadingAge has supported this bill since its first introduction in 2019. It came close to passage in late 2024 but failed to pass due to a last minute implementation price tag. The chief sponsors are making another strong push to get this bill over the finish line this year.  The bill now has 295 cosponsors in the House, which would permit it to be taken up for a full House floor vote under a suspension of the rules allowing for limited debate and no amendments. However, it would require a two-thirds majority vote for passage but given its overwhelming bipartisan support that would be likely. We will watch for it to be potentially added to the suspension calendar.
• HR 9392, the Medicare Advantage Cost Transparency Act, would require MA plans to provide clearer information on payment rates and cost sharing for beneficiaries.  More specifically and of interest to LeadingAge is that the bill would require MA plans to include the allowed amount for an item or service on an encounter claim beginning in 1/1/2027, which would provide more information about how much plans are paying providers and could allow for comparison of payments for similar services between MA and Medicare FFS. This could get us closer to determining provider payment adequacy in the MA program. The bill also grants CMS authority , tools and standardized data to evaluate and bring price transparency to the overhead costs and supplemental benefits offered by MA plans.
• HR 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act, is also focused on prior authorization in commercial health plans, requiring the plans to publish a list of all items and services that require prior authorization, along with data on denial rates, appeals, and delays in care.  While this bill would not directly impact MA plans, we are monitoring it as a potential vehicle for MA related amendments to reform prior authorizations.

All three of these bills were reported to the full committee without any amendments. The subcommittee also advanced HR 5243 with some minor technical changes. This bill would require more transparent reporting on the supplemental benefits offered by Medicare Advantage plans and the extent to which enrollees are actually utilizing these services. Better data on these benefits could improve understanding of how plans support social needs and how those offerings vary across plans.

Overall, the markup underscores sustained bipartisan interest in improving Medicare Advantage transparency and reducing administrative barriers to care. LeadingAge supports these MA improvement bills and has been engaged in their development. The next step for these bills is consideration by the full House Energy and Commerce Committee before any of these bills can move to the House floor for a vote. LeadingAge will continue working with Congress on solutions to concerns about the Medicare Advantage program.