A Republican bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
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
This bill is known as the ACCESS Act. It aims to provide assisted living assistance through Medicaid and the low-income housing tax credit. The bill amends the Social Security Act to include services provided in an assisted living residence under Medicaid coverage. It sets specific cost and care requirements for individuals receiving these assisted living services under Medicaid. Additionally, the bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to include projects that reduce medical assistance costs for the elderly in non-institutional settings into the selection criteria for the low-income housing tax credit. The changes made by this bill take effect on January 1, 2027, with potential delays permitted if a State requires legislation.
Yes· 3 of 9
- Scored +7
Would people over 65 be better off under this?
The bill expands Medicaid coverage and housing tax credit priorities specifically to support elderly individuals in assisted living settings.
- Scored +6
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill expands access to care for elderly individuals by allowing Medicaid to cover assisted living services.
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill expands Medicaid benefits which are specifically targeted at meeting state income and resource requirements for low-income individuals.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
The bill allows for delays in implementation if states require their own legislation to comply with the new Medicaid requirements.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Medicaid Coverage for Assisted Living Services: Section 2 adds services provided in an assisted living residence to the definition of medical assistance under Medicaid and makes it a mandatory benefit. This is positive because it helps individuals who need hospital or nursing facility levels of care receive services in an assisted living residence instead, provided they meet state income and resource requirements and cost limits.
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Housing Credit Support for Elderly Care: Section 3 adds projects that reduce the medical assistance costs of long-term services and supports for the elderly by providing those services in a non-institutional setting to the selection criteria for the low-income housing tax credit. This is beneficial because it encourages the creation of housing projects that help older Americans receive long-term care outside of traditional institutions.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Cost Limit Restrictions on Care: Section 2 specifies that Medicaid coverage for assisted living is only available if the estimated annual average per capita total Medicaid cost for the individual is no greater than the cost that would have been incurred in a hospital or nursing facility. This could be viewed as a negative burden if individuals who prefer assisted living are denied access because their specific care costs narrowly exceed the strict institutional cost cap.
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? — The bill expands Medicaid coverage and housing tax credit priorities specifically to support elderly individuals in assisted living settings. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill expands Medicaid benefits which are specifically targeted at meeting state income and resource requirements for low-income individuals. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The expansion of covered services in assisted living provides more options for those requiring long-term care services.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill expands access to care for elderly individuals by allowing Medicaid to cover assisted living services. Does this put more money into Medicaid, the health coverage for people on low incomes? — The bill expands Medicaid coverage to include services provided in assisted living residences.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make housing cost less? — The bill amends the low-income housing tax credit to prioritize projects that provide non-institutional support for the elderly. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — By expanding Medicaid coverage for assisted living, the bill helps reduce the personal financial burden of long-term care for low-income individuals.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill targets assisted living costs that must be no greater than the cost of hospital or nursing facility care to reduce overall Medicaid expenditures. Does this cut taxes for small businesses? — The bill updates the low-income housing tax credit selection criteria which may indirectly support housing development businesses.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill allows for delays in implementation if states require their own legislation to comply with the new Medicaid requirements.
- 9/23/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 4/30/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Steve DainesRepublican · Montana
Tim SheehyRepublican · Montana