S. 1816 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, May 20, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summarySpeeds up Medicare Advantage approval decisions
Medicare Advantage plans are insurance options for seniors that often require approval before certain medical services. Right now, the process can take time. This bill would require these plans to use electronic systems for approvals, track how fast they respond to requests, and meet quality standards set by federal regulators. The government would also study whether decisions can be made in real time and how artificial intelligence affects patient access to care.
How it affects you
If you're a senior with a Medicare Advantage plan, this could mean faster approval for the medical services your doctor recommends, since plans would have to meet stricter speed and quality requirements. The bill doesn't directly affect people with traditional Medicare or other insurance.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, May 20, 2025)
Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
This bill establishes several requirements and standards relating to prior authorization processes under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans.
Specifically, MA plans must (1) establish an electronic prior authorization program that meets specified standards; (2) annually submit to the CMS for publication specified prior authorization information, including the percentage of requests approved and the average response time; and (3) meet other standards, as set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), relating to the quality and timeliness of prior authorization determinations.
The CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology must publish on the CMS' website a report that analyzes the information received from MA plans, the feasibility of implementing real-time decision making with respect to prior authorization requests, and the impact of decisions that are made using artificial intelligence on patient access.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 1816
A BILL
Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) · Introduced May 20, 2025 · Health · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action May 20, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.”