There are several advocacy wins for both physicians and patients in the new federal budget that was approved by the House in a 341 to 88 vote on Jan. 22, the American Medical Association outlined in an article published in February.
The three-bill “minibus” is part of a broader bipartisan legislative package to fund the federal government through fiscal year 2026 and avoid a partial shutdown ahead of a Jan. 30 deadline. It provides appropriations for HHS, the Department of Labor and several other agencies.
Here are eight wins for patients and physicians in the new budget:
1. Medicare telehealth coverage renewed for two years. An extension of the pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities will last through 2027 after a 43-day lapse during the 2025 government shutdown.
2. A 3.1% bonus restored for physicians participating in Medicare alternative payment models: The bonus, which expired in 2024, will be restored for one year.
3. Access to the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program expanded” This marks the first time that CDC-recognized virtual diabetes prevention programs will be included in the expanded model on a trial basis from through Dec. 31, 2029.
4. New Medicare Advantage requirements: MA plans will be required to maintain accurate, regularly updated provider directors and publicly report directory accuracy.
5. Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver extended for five years. This extension, which runs through 2030, will grant waivers to individual hospitals who provide Medicare patients with inpatient-level home care.
6. The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act extended through 2030. The extension mandates annual stigma-reduction campaigns and broadens grant eligibility to address administrative burden.
7. New pharmacy benefit manager reforms: New measures aim to increase transparency and curb Medicare drug rebate prices. The reforms also target anticompetitive behavior.
8. More funding for maternal health. The budget deal reauthorizes the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act to expand federal research on preterm birth and improve outcomes for premature infants, as well as the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act. The latter measure increases authorized funding to $100 million annually through 2030, expands the scope of state maternal mortality review committees and directs federal agencies to more regularly disseminate best practices.
