Sponsors (2)
The bill expands outreach and navigator support to increase enrollment and retention in Medicaid/CHIP—improving access and reducing uncompensated care—but does so at a fiscal cost and with risks to oversight and limited impact if administrative rules remain complex.
Low-income people, Medicaid and CHIP-eligible individuals (including children) gain and keep health coverage more reliably because expanded navigators, outreach, and enrollment funding increase enrollment and reduce wrongful disenrollments.
State governments face less budget pressure for enrollment activities because the federal government reimburses 100% of quarterly outreach and Medicaid/CHIP enrollment costs, making outreach operations more affordable for states.
Hospitals and community health organizations see reduced uncompensated care as more patients obtain coverage through strengthened outreach and enrollment assistance.
Taxpayers and federal budget outcomes are affected because expanded navigator support and 100% federal reimbursement increase federal and/or state spending and could raise federal outlays or deficits unless offsets are identified.
Taxpayers and state governments face a heightened risk of improper payments if reimbursable 'outreach' is broadly defined and oversight or accountability is insufficient.
Medicaid beneficiaries and other eligible people may still be wrongfully disenrolled if administrative rules and frequent redeterminations remain complex, so adding navigators alone might not fully restore continuous coverage.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Requires HHS to reimburse States 100% each quarter for outreach and enrollment costs for Medicaid and CHIP, effective for calendar quarters starting after enactment.
Provides full federal reimbursement to states for outreach and enrollment costs for Medicaid and CHIP. The bill adds a new requirement to the Social Security Act directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to pay each State, each quarter, 100% of sums a State spent that quarter on outreach to and enrollment of individuals eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, effective for calendar quarters beginning on or after enactment. The law is aimed at helping states expand navigator and outreach capacity to counteract administrative barriers (including recent work-reporting and more frequent eligibility redeterminations) that have reduced enrollment and retention among children, working families, older adults, and other vulnerable groups.
Official title: To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to increase payments to States with respect to outreach and enrollment under the Medicaid program.
Introduced May 4, 2026 by Troy Carter · Last progress May 4, 2026