Sponsors (2)
Official title: Amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of ALS-related services under the Medicare program for individuals diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 3, 2026 by Lisa Murkowski · Last progress February 3, 2026
The bill increases access to and financial support for ALS care and clinical research—reducing costs for Medicare beneficiaries and stabilizing provider revenue—but does so at the price of higher federal spending, implementation burdens, and risks of uneven access or resource trade-offs.
Medicare beneficiaries with ALS will pay less out-of-pocket and get more comprehensive, coordinated per-visit multidisciplinary care because the bill establishes a single no-cost-sharing payment for ALS visits starting in 2027.
People with ALS and ALS researchers will benefit from stronger clinical-trial capacity and faster therapy development because the bill increases funding/staffing support, encourages trial-friendly payment adjustments, and requires NINDS recommendations to improve trial operations.
Hospitals and ALS providers will gain more predictable revenue and incentives to maintain or expand ALS services because the bill creates a per-visit payment ($800 in 2027–28, then indexed) and raises reimbursement expectations for ALS care.
Taxpayers and the Medicare program will face higher federal spending because of increased Medicare reimbursements, new per-visit payments, and indexed payments over time.
Limited research and healthcare dollars could be redirected toward ALS at the expense of other conditions or programs, creating trade-offs if overall budgets are not increased.
Implementing the new payment rules, qualified-provider criteria, coding changes, and required reports will increase administrative burden for HHS, NINDS, providers, and federal employees during rollout and ongoing management.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Creates a Medicare benefit with a single per-visit payment for defined ALS services, sets payment levels and indexing, and requires an NIH report on ALS clinical trial barriers.
Creates a Medicare benefit and payment system for a defined bundle of ALS-related services and requires an NIH/NINDS report on barriers to ALS clinical trials. The bill defines which services qualify, establishes a single per-visit payment to qualified providers (set at $800 for 2027–2028 with an indexed increase thereafter and GAO review authority), provides exceptions for clinical trial participation and new costly technologies, requires no cost-sharing, and directs NINDS to report within 90 days on clinical trial staffing and administrative challenges plus legislative recommendations.