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Outpatient Surgery Access Act of 2026
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modernize payments for ambulatory surgical centers under the Medicare program.
Summary
- Aligns the annual Medicare payment update for ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) with the payment update factor used for hospital outpatient departments (OPDs) beginning in 2027
- Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from applying a separate budget neutrality adjustment specifically for ambulatory surgical center services starting in 2027
- Requires ambulatory surgical center expenditures to be included in the budget neutrality calculation used for hospital outpatient department services beginning in 2027
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] (R-LA)
1 cosponsor
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Bill Cassidy’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- ANDREESSEN HOROWITZ $59,100
- GENERAL ATLANTIC $37,700
- WELSH CARSON ANDERSON & STOWE $33,870
- OCHSNER HEALTH SYSTEM $33,250
- RA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT $30,200
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Bill Cassidy → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Jul 14, 2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. · senate
- Jul 14, 2026 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 14, 2026
Mr. Cassidy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modernize payments for ambulatory surgical centers under the Medicare program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Outpatient Surgery Access Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. ALIGNING UPDATES FOR AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER SERVICES WITH UPDATES FOR OPD SERVICES.
Section 1833(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(i)(2)(D)) is amended—
(1) in clause (v), by moving the margin 6 ems to the left;
(2) by redesignating clause (vi) as clause (vii); and
(3) by inserting after clause (v) the following new clause:
“(vi) In implementing the system described in clause (i) for 2027 and each subsequent year, the Secretary shall apply an annual update under such system that is equal to the OPD fee schedule increase factor specified under subsection (t)(3)(C)(iv) for such year, adjusted in accordance with clauses (iv) and (v).”.
SEC. 3. ALIGNMENT OF BUDGET NEUTRALITY ADJUSTMENT FOR OUTPATIENT SURGICAL PROCEDURES.
(a) Prohibiting ASC-Specific Budget Neutrality Adjustment.—Section 1833(i)(2)(D)(ii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(i)(2)(D)(ii)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: “In implementing such system for 2027 and each subsequent year, the Secretary may not apply under such system any adjustment designed to result in the same aggregate amount of expenditures for such services for the year as would be made if this subparagraph did not apply (as described in the preceding sentence).”.
(b) Combining Volume for Budget Neutrality Calculation.—Section 1833(t)(9)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)(9)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: “In determining adjustments under the first sentence of this subparagraph for 2027 and each subsequent year, the Secretary shall take into account any expenditures made under the revised payment system under subsection (i)(2)(D).”. <all>
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