The new bill, authored by U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, aims to define essential health systems and establish a process to ensure access to care for vulnerable populations, according to the U.S. Congress.
H.R.7145 was introduced on Jan. 16, 2026 during the 2026 regular session of the 119th Congress. The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill amends title XIX of the Social Security Act to define “essential health system” and establish a related designation process. An essential health system is defined as a non-Federal governmental or private nonprofit hospital that meets specific criteria related to care provided to Medicaid and low-income patients, including maintaining a Medicare disproportionate patient percentage of at least 35% or being among the top 16th percentile in various related measures. The designation is valid for five years, contingent on continued compliance with established criteria. Additionally, the bill requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MACPAC) to prepare an annual list of designated essential health systems and publish an index of their performance. This designation aims to ensure continued access to critical health services for vulnerable populations.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Lori Trahan (Democrat-MA-3rd District) and co-sponsored by Rep. Troy A. Carter (Democrat-MA-2nd District), Rep. Juan Ciscomani (Republican-MA-6th District), and Rep. Darren Soto (Democrat-MA-9th District), along with two other sponsors.
Since the beginning of the current session, Rep. Trahan has introduced another 11 bills.
Congressional bills can originate in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, except for revenue-related measures, which must begin in the House. After introduction, bills are assigned to committees for review, hearings, amendments and debate before they can advance to a vote in each chamber. If both chambers approve identical versions, the legislation is sent to the president, who may sign it into law or veto it. Congress operates in two-year terms, with each term numbered sequentially and divided into two annual sessions. The legislative process and official bill records are maintained by the U.S. Congress and published through Congress.gov.
Lori Trahan is a Representative from Massachusetts, elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress and to the three succeeding Congresses since January 3, 2019. She graduated with a B.S. from Georgetown University in 1995 and attended Harvard University in 2013.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| H.R.7145 | 01/16/2026 | To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to establish a definition of essential health system in statute and for other related purposes. |
| H.R.6823 | 12/17/2025 | To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to facilitate the development of certain traumatic brain injury diagnostics for members of the Armed Forces. |
| H.R.6350 | 12/02/2025 | College Athletics Reform Act |
| H.R.6043 | 11/12/2025 | MY DATA Act of 2025 |
| H.R.5895 | 10/31/2025 | Protect Patients from Healthcare Abuse Act |
| H.R.5537 | 09/19/2025 | Pipeline Accountability Act of 2025 |
| H.R.5536 | 09/19/2025 | HEADACHE Act |
| H.R.4868 | 08/01/2025 | College Athlete Economic Freedom Act |
| H.R.2612 | 04/02/2025 | DELETE Act |
| H.R.2019 | 03/10/2025 | TLDR Act |
| H.R.1509 | 02/21/2025 | Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act of 2025 |
| H.R.1442 | 02/18/2025 | Youth Poisoning Protection Act |
Information in this article was obtained from the U.S. Congress. The source data can be found here.
