Lower Costs for Everyday Americans Act

This bill aims to lower everyday costs and make health care and safety easier to access. It keeps popular Medicare telehealth options in place through 2026, including audio‑only visits and virtual check‑ins for hospice care, and continues mental health telehealth at rural and community clinics into early 2027 . It also sets Medicare payment and basic rules for a new blood test that screens for multiple cancers, with age and once‑a‑year limits unless top national prevention experts give it a strong rating. On Medicaid, states must regularly update enrollee addresses and check federal death records to stop mistaken payments, with fast reinstatement if someone is wrongly dropped . Military families who move on orders would be treated as state residents for Medicaid, can keep their place on home‑care waiting lists after a move, and can get care in their new state with federal guidance. The bill also pilots an expansion of home‑ and community‑based care in a small number of states after planning grants, and extends extra Medicare support for rural, low‑volume hospitals .

Beyond coverage, the bill extends or boosts funding for community health centers, the National Health Service Corps, and teaching health centers; special diabetes programs (including for Tribal communities); overdose prevention; fetal alcohol spectrum disorder services; sickle cell disease care; traumatic brain injury programs; emergency preparedness; and mental health support for health workers . It also updates funding rules for the World Trade Center Health Program and asks for a long‑term budget report. Outside health care, it includes provisions on recycling, water infrastructure, youth poisoning prevention (including a ban on high‑concentration sodium nitrite products), battery safety, and transparency around communications from foreign adversaries, as listed in the bill’s table of contents.

Key points

• Medicare: Keeps telehealth flexibilities through 2026 (audio‑only and hospice telehealth included) and mental health telehealth at rural and community clinics into 2027 .
• Cancer screening: Sets Medicare payment and limits for multi‑cancer early detection tests, generally no more than one test a year and not for people under 50, with exceptions if highly recommended by national experts.
• Medicaid accuracy: Starting in 2026, states must regularly verify addresses and check death records; coverage must be restored quickly if dropped by mistake .
• Juvenile justice: Delays new Medicaid/CHIP screening and support requirements for eligible youth in public institutions until 2026; clarifies these rules don’t apply to those in federal custody.
• Military families: From 2028, families who move due to active‑duty orders are treated as residents for Medicaid and can keep their spot on home‑care waitlists after moving.
• Home care: Launches a pilot in a few states to expand home‑ and community‑based services after planning grants, with a three‑year test period.
• Rural hospitals: Extends extra Medicare payments that help small, low‑volume hospitals keep services open.
• Public health investments: Extends and increases funding for community clinics, diabetes, overdose prevention, FASD, sickle cell, traumatic brain injury, emergency readiness, and health worker mental health; updates the WTC Health Program funding formula and planning .