After weeks of negotiations, congressional leaders have reportedly reached a bipartisan, bicameral health care deal they hope both chambers will pass later this week as part of a multi-bill government spending package that includes the department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the end of September – the 2026 federal fiscal year. The federal spending bill would give HHS $116.8 billion for fiscal 2026, an increase of $210 million over 2025 and $33 billion more that the Trump administration requested. The passage of these spending bills is necessary as the continuing resolution for federal government funding runs out at the end of the month.
Why is this important to healthcare marketers?
The agreement contains pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms, which will serve as a funding source for the extension of various health programs, including as in-home telehealth services coverage under Medicare through 2027. The spending bill also would extend funding for hospital-level home care, community health centers, and multi-cancer early detection screening tests under Medicare. Both the Senate and the House still must pass the legislation, and package details could change before depending on Congressional Budget Office (CBO) re-scoring of the PBM reform savings and late disagreements among specific package elements from other department funding in labor, education, defense, transportation and homeland security.
Specifically, the spending bill would renew through 2029 the pediatric cancer research program under the priority review voucher program which the FDA awards vouchers in return for approval of drugs for rare pediatric diseases. It also would allow Medicare to pay for multiple cancer screening tests, including a blood test made by Grail, that would be phased-in beginning in 2029 with 65-year-olds and increasing by one year of age each subsequent year.
For more questions or more information on this topic, please contact Jim Potter, CHC Executive Director at [email protected].
