Washington, DC, July 24: The American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons welcomed another major legislative milestone as the House Committee on Energy and Commerce passed the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3514 / S. 1816), bipartisan legislation to modernize prior authorization in Medicare Advantage and increase transparency in the program. Passed 45-0 on July 21, 2026, the legislation will now advance to the House floor for consideration by the full House of Representatives.
Alexander A. Khalessi, MD, MBA, Chair of the AANS/CNS Washington Committee, issued the following statement:
“The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act represents one of the most broadly supported, commonsense health care reforms before Congress today. For patients with neurologic disease, timely access to medically necessary care is not a matter of convenience. It can mean the difference between preserving function and living with permanent disability. This legislation takes meaningful steps to ensure that prior authorization supports high-quality care rather than delaying it.”
“We commend Representatives Kelly, DelBene, Joyce, and Bera, as well as the leadership and members of the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means, for advancing this bipartisan legislation. After years of thoughtful collaboration among physicians, patient advocates, hospitals, health plans, and policymakers, we urge House leadership to bring this legislation to the floor before the August recess so patients can finally benefit from these long-overdue reforms.”
Introduced by Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), John Joyce, MD (R-PA), and Ami Bera, MD (D-CA), together with Senators Roger Marshall, MD (R-KS), and Mark Warner (D-VA), the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act would modernize the MA prior authorization process by establishing electronic prior authorization requirements, strengthening transparency and accountability, and streamlining determinations for medically necessary care. The bill’s reforms would improve access to care for more than 35 million seniors, individuals with disabilities, and veterans enrolled in an MA plan.
The legislation previously advanced through the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health on June 25, 2026. Last week, the House Committee on Ways and Means passed the legislation 42-0, on June 15, 2026.
Over the course of this legislation’s development, the AANS and CNS, as founding members of the Regulatory Relief Coalition, have partnered with more than 500 national and state organizations representing patients, physicians, and other health care providers, biomedical innovators, health plans, and the health information technology community to advance the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act.