Markup of H.R. 9641, H.R. 3108, H.R. 9642, H.R. 9468, H.R. 3514, H.R. 9644, and H.R. 9645

The Ways and Means Committee Republicans held a markup session on July 15, 2026, to consider several health care-related bills aimed at improving access, transparency, and affordability in Medicare and rural health care. Key procurement-related discussions included the approval and favorable reporting of multiple bills: HR 9641 (Essential Caregivers Act) to guarantee visitation rights in nursing homes during emergencies; HR 3108 (Rural Patient Monitoring Access Act) to ensure Medicare reimbursement parity for remote patient monitoring in rural areas; HR 9642 (Medicare Access to Rural Anesthesiology Act) to allow rural hospitals to contract with anesthesiologists under Medicare payment models; HR 9468 (Saving Today's Acute Care Resources Act) to improve access to long-term acute care hospitals; HR 3514 (Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act) to streamline prior authorization processes for Medicare Advantage patients; and HR 9644 (Medicare Advantage MLR Transparency Act) and HR 9645 focusing on transparency and accountability in Medicare Advantage plans. The committee passed these bills with unanimous or strong bipartisan support, authorizing staff to make technical and conforming changes. Several amendments related to transparency, use of artificial intelligence in coverage decisions, and reporting requirements were also discussed and voted on. The session emphasized enhancing rural health care access, reducing administrative burdens, and increasing transparency in health care spending and insurance practices.