Sens. Marshall and Whitehouse Push Bill to Speed Up Medicare Advantage Care Approvals
The Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently introduced in the Senate and sent to the Committee on Finance for review. No further actions are scheduled at this time, and the bill is waiting for the committee to decide on its next steps.
The bill has support from both parties, which is a strong start. However, large insurance companies often fight against new rules that limit their control over costs.
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
Small medical practices and independent healthcare providers who treat Medicare Advantage patients would see more predictable payment. The bill requires prompt payment for all authorized services (both in-network and out-of-network), bans retroactive payment denials on approved services, and prohibits third-party reviewers from using automated denial processes or being paid based on how many claims they deny.
“the MA organization may not, after such approval, change the code assigned with respect to the claim for such item or service such that the amount of payment for such claim would be reduced, except for good cause”
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.
Rep. John Joyce, M.D., introduced the Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026 to address barriers to care. The bill aims to streamline prior authorization through real-time automated systems and strengthen accountability for plans that fail to meet compliance standards.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026 to hasten prior authorizations and increase transparency. The bill would require plans to respond to standard requests within 72 hours and implement real-time approval systems for certain services.
The Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026 includes provisions to penalize noncompliant plans and reduce administrative burdens through automated systems. It aims to prevent inappropriate denials of care and ensure seniors receive timely access to post-acute services.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.