The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously on Wednesday, a move that many healthcare advocates are applauding.
Reps. Ami Bera (D-California), Mike Kelly (R-Pennsylvania), Suzan DelBene (D-Washington) and John Joyce (R-Pennsylvania) introduced the bill. Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) and Mark Warner (D-Virginia) introduced a companion bill in the Senate, though it has not yet advanced out of committee.
The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act affects prior authorization in Medicare Advantage by requiring standard requests to be completed in seven days and urgent requests to be completed within 72 hours. It also transitions to an electronic prior authorization process, requires plans to publicly disclose prior authorization information, requires CMS to assess real-time prior authorization processes and more.
It passed the committee on a 42-0 vote. It now goes to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The American Health Care Association voiced support for this vote.
“The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 builds on important progress to hold large Medicare Advantage insurers accountable when it comes to prior authorization practices. Too many seniors are facing unnecessary delays when it comes to accessing the post-acute care they need,” said Clif Porter, president and CEO of the organization. “This bipartisan legislation helps improve transparency, ensuring that Medicare Advantage plans are fulfilling their promise to reduce these prior authorization burdens.”
The American Medical Association also applauded the Ways and Means Committee’s passage of the bill, stating that it sends a message that more needs to be done to rein in health plans’ “harmful prior authorization delays.”
“Today’s unanimous vote reflects growing recognition that prior authorization, when misused, too often stands between patients and their physicians. The AMA applauds the committee’s action and will continue working with Congress to ensure this legislation becomes law,” said Willie Underwood III, president of the AMA.
The American Hospital Association also expressed support for the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act but urged lawmakers to restore the original Jan. 1, 2028, deadline for Medicare Advantage plans to adopt a standard electronic prior authorization process, rather than the Jan. 1, 2029, deadline included in the committee’s substitute amendment.
The House Ways and Means Committee also passed several other healthcare bills, including the Rural Patient Monitoring Access Act, which would improve Medicare reimbursement for remote patient monitoring in rural areas, and the Medicare Access to Rural Anesthesiology Act, which seeks to expand access to anesthesia services in rural hospitals.
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