Claudia Tenney (R-NY)
Medicare Home Health Payment Integrity and Protection Act of 2026
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and the Judiciary, 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.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The bill, cited as the Medicare Home Health Payment Integrity and Protection Act of 2026, aims to decrease fraud related to home health agencies in the Medicare program. It introduces enhanced enrollment screening, additional oversight, and increased survey frequencies for certain home health agencies. The legislation establishes a revised standard prospective payment amount for 2027 and suspends certain permanent and temporary behavioral adjustments. It also provides funding for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Justice, and state survey agencies to enforce program integrity and investigate fraud. Finally, the bill requires reports to Congress on home health payment data and ensures that fraudulent entities do not impact value-based or benchmark programs.
Yes· 3 of 10
- Scored +6
Would people over 65 be better off under this?
Seniors relying on Medicare are better protected from fraudulent home health agencies and schemes that exploit the system.
- Scored +6
Does this put more money into Medicare, the health coverage for people over 65?
The bill appropriates substantial funds for program integrity, DOJ enforcement, and state survey agencies to protect the Medicare program from fraud.
- Scored +5
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The legislation requires reports to Congress on home health payment data and mandates rigorous notice-and-comment rulemaking.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
Increased oversight and administrative burdens on home health agencies might cause some legitimate providers to struggle with compliance, potentially affecting access.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Enhanced screening requirements for home health agencies at extreme risk of fraud, which include requiring the fingerprinting of the home health agency's administrator and obtaining evidence of a comprehensive liability insurance policy, as outlined in Section 101. This helps protect the public by ensuring tighter controls on potentially fraudulent entities.
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Increased standard survey frequencies for newly enrolled agencies, agencies that have undergone a change of ownership, or those that have reactivated billing privileges, requiring a survey not less frequently than once every month during the 36-month period immediately following, as specified in Section 102. This provides closer monitoring to protect patients from bad actors.
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The exclusion or adjustment of suspect claims containing unreliable data or data from providers engaged in fraud, waste, or abuse when computing benchmarks and value-based adjustments, as detailed in Section 203. This protects legitimate providers and ensures the integrity of quality programs for the people.
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Specific appropriations of $300,000,000 for program integrity funding, $150,000,000 for Department of Justice and Office of Inspector General enforcement, and $100,000,000 for state survey agencies for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, found in Sections 303, 304, and 305. These funds support investigations into organized home health fraud schemes, prosecutions, and accelerated surveys.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- A penalty where home health agencies that fail to submit required quality data will face an increased payment reduction of 15 percentage points for 2029 and subsequent years, as specified in Section 102. This could create a financial burden for agencies struggling with compliance.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Seniors relying on Medicare are better protected from fraudulent home health agencies and schemes that exploit the system. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Protecting the Medicare trust fund from waste and fraud preserves resources for low-income beneficiaries who rely on public healthcare programs. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Preventing fraudulent spending in Medicare helps protect taxpayer dollars and the long-term solvency of the program relied upon by middle-class families. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — Many veterans relying on Medicare benefit from enhanced program integrity and protection against fraudulent home health operations.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The legislation requires reports to Congress on home health payment data and mandates rigorous notice-and-comment rulemaking. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill grants federal agencies expanded authority, funding, and mandates for oversight, screening, and enforcement regarding home health providers.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — The legislation introduces rigorous anti-fraud measures, data integrity safeguards, and oversight to ensure Medicare funds are spent appropriately. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill aims to decrease Medicare fraud and reset home health payments using reliable data, which could reduce unnecessary federal outlays.
- Healthcare
- Does this put more money into Medicare, the health coverage for people over 65? — The bill appropriates substantial funds for program integrity, DOJ enforcement, and state survey agencies to protect the Medicare program from fraud. Does this help veterans get medical care? — Protecting the integrity of Medicare home health services indirectly helps beneficiaries, including veterans who rely on Medicare. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Increased oversight and administrative burdens on home health agencies might cause some legitimate providers to struggle with compliance, potentially affecting access.
- 10/13/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and the Judiciary, 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.
- Introduced in House