Congress·In Committee·H.R. 9984

Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2026

Medicare: Payment for Radiologist Assistants

5 days ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: A house committee

A house committee must act next: committee consideration.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Could go either way

It has bipartisan support from two experienced members, but it was introduced late in the session and needs to clear two major committees.

Key Points

This bill would change Medicare rules to pay for medical services provided by radiologist assistants. These are highly trained professionals who help doctors with imaging tests like X-rays or MRIs.
Radiologist assistants would still have to work under the direct supervision of a doctor who specializes in radiology. They are not allowed to read or interpret the final results of medical images on their own.
The goal is to make medical imaging more efficient and improve patient care by letting assistants handle more tasks. This could help reduce wait times for patients who need diagnostic tests or imaging procedures.
If passed, the new payment rules would start on January 1, 2027. The money for these services would be paid directly to the supervising doctor rather than the assistant.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jul 30, 2026House

Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.

Jul 30, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 9984

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)

D: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.