Rep. Joyce Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Speed Up Medicare Advantage Approvals and Penalize Bad Plans
The Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026 was recently introduced in the House and is currently being reviewed by two committees. It is in the early stages of the legislative process and is actively moving forward. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
The bill has strong bipartisan support and addresses a major public complaint about insurance delays, but it faces significant opposition from the insurance industry over new fines.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Medical practices and smaller healthcare providers often bear significant administrative costs dealing with Medicare Advantage prior authorization paperwork and fighting retroactive claim denials. The bill's real-time authorization for routine services, automated claims payment, prohibition on post-approval clawbacks, and limits on third-party review entities using automated denial processes should reduce administrative burden and improve payment predictability for these providers.
“Such processes shall provide that such claims shall be automatically processed and paid and shall not be subject to manual claim review, except in cases for which there is reasonable evidence of fraud.”
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H3095)
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
A bipartisan group of physician-lawmakers introduced the Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026 to address barriers to care. The bill mandates prior authorization decisions within 72 hours for standard requests and 24 hours for urgent needs, while aligning criteria with traditional Medicare.
The Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026 would hasten prior authorizations and increase transparency. If passed, plans must respond to standard requests within 72 hours and urgent ones within 24 hours, ensuring seniors receive timely care without inappropriate coverage denials.
Introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, the Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026 seeks to increase oversight of private plans. Key provisions include faster prior authorization timelines and a requirement that plans adopt real-time, automated systems for routine medical requests.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026
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