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Congress·In Committee·12 months ago

Senate Committee Reviews Bipartisan Health Care Act to Extend Telehealth, Cut Drug Costs

Also known as: Bipartisan Health Care Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
Senate
House
President

Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

State Impacts

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Key Points

  • This bill keeps popular telehealth options available for Medicare patients through 2026, allowing people to see doctors over video or phone from their own homes. It also extends extra funding for rural hospitals and ambulance services to ensure people in small towns can still get emergency care when they need it.
  • The plan makes it easier for people with disabilities and seniors to get health care in their own homes instead of being forced into nursing homes. It also removes age limits so that working adults with disabilities can keep their Medicaid coverage as they get older, and it helps military families keep their benefits when they move to new states.
  • To help lower medicine prices, the bill requires "pharmacy benefit managers"—the companies that handle drug plans—to be more honest about the discounts they get from drug makers. It forces these companies to pass those savings along to the health plans and forbids them from keeping hidden profits, a practice known as "spread pricing."
  • The policy provides billions of dollars for community health centers and programs that fight the opioid crisis. It includes new training for first responders, better education about the dangers of fentanyl, and more support for pregnant women and families struggling with addiction.
  • It updates how the government prepares for future health emergencies by improving the national stockpile of medical supplies and using wastewater testing to track diseases. It also continues health funding for 9/11 responders and survivors through the year 2040.
HealthcareEconomy FinanceVeteransNational Security Foreign Policy

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Mar 6, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Mar 6, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Late 2025 through 2026

Medicare telehealth flexibilities and several provider payment extensions take effect

Medicare patients can continue seeing doctors via telehealth from home without geographic restrictions, and rural hospitals, ambulance services, and low-volume hospitals keep receiving extra payments to stay open through at least 2026

18-30 months after enactment

PBM transparency and anti-spread-pricing rules begin for Medicaid and commercial health plans

Pharmacy benefit managers will be required to pass through 100% of drug rebates to health plans and stop pocketing hidden profits from spread pricing, which could lower drug costs for patients and reduce premiums over time

2029-01-01

Medicare coverage of multi-cancer early detection screening tests begins

Starting January 1, 2029, Medicare beneficiaries aged 50-65 gain access to new blood-based tests that can screen for multiple cancers at once, potentially catching cancers earlier when treatment is more effective

Related News

3 articles
Medical Economics·11 months ago

Wyden pushes Bipartisan Health Care Act, Medicare reimbursement boost as government shutdown looms

Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden introduced the Bipartisan Health Care Act to extend Medicare telehealth flexibilities through 2026 and boost physician payments. The bill also targets pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) by banning spread pricing and requiring greater transparency.

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AAMC News·12 months ago

AAMC Urges Congress to Extend Health Care Provisions, Finalize FY25 Spending

The AAMC called on lawmakers to pass the Bipartisan Health Care Act (S. 891), which reauthorizes key programs like the SUPPORT Act and extends telehealth waivers. The bill also addresses Medicaid DSH cuts and removes age limits for working adults with disabilities to maintain coverage.

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HMP Global·11 months ago

Reviewing Federal Health Legislative and Regulatory Changes in 2025

Policy experts highlighted the Bipartisan Health Care Act as a key vehicle for PBM reform, including a ban on spread pricing and Medicare Part D delinking. The bill also seeks to extend the Acute Hospital Care at Home initiative and rural hospital funding through 2026.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Bipartisan Health Care Act

Bill NumberS 891
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)
I: 1

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.