Apples to Apples Comparison Act of 2026
Senate Bill Would Require Medicare to Post County-by-County Spending Data Online Starting in 2027
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services to post detailed files online showing exactly how much Medicare spends in every county and major city across the country.
- Starting in 2027, the public would be able to see spending data broken down by different groups, such as people in traditional Medicare versus those enrolled in private Medicare Advantage plans.
- A government advisory commission would be required to compare the costs of private plans to traditional Medicare to see which provides better value for taxpayers and seniors.
- The reports would include 10 years of past spending data and up to 5 years of predicted future spending to help the public and lawmakers track where healthcare money is going.
- To protect privacy, the bill requires that all shared data must keep the personal information of seniors secret while still being detailed enough for researchers to study.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
This bill would require HHS to publish detailed, county-level spending data for Medicare in machine-readable files, broken down by dozens of enrollment categories (Part A, Part B, Medicare Advantage, Part D, etc.). This gives the public, researchers, and policymakers much better visibility into how Medicare dollars are spent across the country — but it doesn't change any benefits, premiums, or coverage for beneficiaries directly. The main impact is transparency, not a change in what people receive.
Broader Impacts
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
3 articles
Sen. Scott introduces bill to ease Medicare plan comparisons
Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the Apples to Apples Comparison Act of 2026, requiring CMS to provide seniors with clear, comparable data between Medicare Advantage and traditional fee-for-service coverage to help them make informed decisions.
In brief: Medicare comparison legislation, Omnipod expansion, Owlet partnership
Senator Tim Scott has introduced the Apples to Apples Comparison Act of 2026, which seeks to require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide seniors with clear, comparable data when choosing between Medicare Advantage and traditional fee-for-service coverage.
Growth in Medicare Advantage enrollment slows down
The article discusses slowing enrollment in Medicare Advantage and mentions the introduction of the Apples to Apples Comparison Act of 2026 as a legislative effort to provide more transparency and comparable data for seniors evaluating their coverage options.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Apples to Apples Comparison Act of 2026
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.