ADLM joined a broad coalition of healthcare organizations supporting H.R. 8500, the Timely Access to Coverage Decisions Act of 2026, legislation intended to make Medicare’s local coverage determination process more transparent, predictable, and accountable.
Introduced by Reps. Neal Dunn, M.D. (R-Fla.), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), and Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), H.R. 8500 would establish clearer timelines for Medicare Administrative Contractors to review local coverage determination requests and reconsiderations. The bill would also require open public meetings, advance notice of meeting agendas, opportunities for stakeholder input, timely posting of meeting records, and an additional CMS review option after the contractor reconsideration process is exhausted.
More than 30 physician, laboratory, patient care, diagnostics, and medical specialty organizations joined the coalition letter supporting the legislation. The coalition emphasized that changes in Medicare contracting have created larger MAC jurisdictions while reducing opportunities for stakeholders to interact with contractor medical directors, contributing to concerns about transparency and consistency in local coverage decisions.
H.R. 8500 remains pending before the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees. ADLM will continue supporting efforts to improve the LCD process and ensure Medicare coverage decisions are timely, transparent, and grounded in appropriate clinical evidence.