Bennet Celebrates Six of His Health Care Bills Signed Into Law

Feb 5, 2026| Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet celebrated the passage of six of his health care bills: the Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act, REAL Health Providers Act, Multi-Cancer Early Detection Act, Give Kids a Chance Act, PREEMIE Act Reauthorization, and Prescription Drug Supply Chain Pricing Transparency Act.

"These six bipartisan pieces of legislation cut red tape, advance cancer research, help fix drug supply chains, and offer critical protections for seniors, expecting mothers, and children," said Bennet. "I am glad to see the President sign them into law so Coloradans are better able to get the care they deserve."

Background on the Legislation:

Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act

Bennet and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced the Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act to simplify out-of-state Medicaid screening and enrollment processes for pediatric care providers while retaining key safeguards to preserve the integrity of the program. Children with complex medical conditions cannot always secure specialized care in their home states. When this happens, parents must work with their in-state providers and Medicaid officials to identify out-of-state providers who offer that care. This process is riddled with regulatory hurdles that often delay, and sometimes prohibit, children from receiving critical medical treatments. The Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act alleviates these burdens for families and providers by facilitating coordination across state lines and clarifying the process by which state Medicaid programs can cover specialized treatment regardless of where the child lives or where their care is received.

This bill builds on Bennet and Grassley's Advancing Care for Exceptional (ACE) Kids Act, legislation that passed Congress and was signed into law in 2019. The ACE Kids Act made it possible for health care providers to coordinate care, lower costs, and improve quality outcomes for children with complex medical conditions on Medicaid who require specialized care.

Requiring Enhanced & Accurate Lists (REAL) Health Providers Act

Bennet, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) introduced the Requiring Enhanced & Accurate Lists of (REAL) Health Providers Act to ensure Medicare Advantage plans maintain accurate provider directories and protect seniors from unexpected health care costs. Many seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage rely on their health plan's provider directory to find in-network physicians and practitioners, but inaccurate data can make it harder to find a provider or lead to unexpected costs. These inaccurate provider directories are known as "ghost networks" because some listed health care providers are not in a patient's network, are not accepting new patients, or in some cases, are no longer in business. Ghost networks make it more difficult for patients to find in-network health care providers, a particularly acute issue in the mental and behavioral health fields, resulting in unexpected costs or delayed care for patients.

Specifically, the REAL Health Providers Act will: strengthen requirements for Medicare Advantage plans to maintain accurate and updated provider directories; ensure patients do not pay out-of-network costs for appointments with providers that were incorrectly listed in their plan's provider directory as in-network; and direct the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to publish guidance for plans to maintain accurate provider directories.

Multi-Cancer Early Detection Act

Bennet, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, along with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Senate Finance Committee member Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Screening Coverage Act. This legislation will allow for timely Medicare coverage of innovative tests that can detect multiple types of cancer before symptoms develop.

Specifically, the bill will: establish a coverage pathway under Medicare for certain Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved MCED tests, which can screen for dozens of cancer types, many of which currently lack effective screening options; authorize the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide Medicare coverage for FDA-approved MCED screening tests, enabling beneficiaries to access these technologies; maintain CMS authority to use an evidence-based process to determine coverage parameters for these new tests; and state that new diagnostic technologies will supplement, not replace, existing screenings and will not impact existing coverage and cost-sharing.

Give Kids a Chance Act

Bennet and Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) introduced the Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act, which will give children with cancer access to combination therapy trials. Theyrenamed the bill in December of 2025 to honor Mikaela, a Colorado teenager who tirelessly advocated for children's access to cancer treatment throughout her brave battle with cancer. The bill will also encourage pharmaceutical companies to develop treatments for rare pediatric diseases.

In the United States, almost 15,000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year. However, children have extremely limited treatment options compared to adults. The Give Kids a Chance Act will authorize the FDA to require pediatric studies to combine certain molecularly-targeted oncology drugs or biologics to determine if the combination of therapies can help treat the growth and progression of pediatric cancer. Combination therapy trials have proven successful in adults with cancer, especially in preventing relapse and improving quality of life during cancer treatment. Most pediatric cancer patients that are currently participating in drug trials have relapsed cancers.

The bill also reauthorizes the FDA priority review voucher program, which encourages pharmaceutical companies to develop treatments for rare pediatric diseases by allowing them to expedite FDA review of more profitable drugs.

Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early (PREEMIE) Act Reauthorization

Bennet and Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.) introduced legislation to improve pregnancy outcomes and infant health by continuing research and education programs aimed at preventing preterm births. The Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early (PREEMIE) Reauthorization Act will reauthorize critical federal research, education, and intervention activities to reduce preterm birth and infant mortality. The legislation will also authorize a study to better understand the factors that lead to preterm birth and identify effective prevention and treatment options.

In 2024, there were nearly 6,400 preterm births in Colorado, representing 9.7% of live births. Premature birth can lead to significant developmental delays and chronic health problems for infants. While preterm delivery can happen in any pregnancy, the rate of preterm birth for Black and Native American mothers is disproportionately high.

The PREEMIE Act reauthorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's research and data collection on infants born prematurely and programs at the Health Resources and Services Administration aimed at improving the treatment and outcome of infants born prematurely. This includes grants to help doctors and the public understand the potential risk factors for having a preterm baby, such as smoking, and grants to screen and treat pregnant people for depression and substance use disorders, including opioid use disorders. These programs have not been reauthorized since 2023.

Prescription Drug Supply Chain Pricing Transparency Act

Bennet and Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.), members of the Senate Finance Committee,introduced the Prescription Drug Supply Chain Pricing Transparency Act to require the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study to increase transparency in the flawed drug pricing supply chain. The United States spends more on prescription drugs on a per capita basis than any other country. In Colorado, prescription drug costs are rising faster than other types of health services. At the same time, relationships in the pharmaceutical drug supply chain between pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), health insurance plans, pharmacies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and other actors have grown increasingly complex. More transparency will help identify which parts of the supply chain contribute to inflated drug prices.

Specifically, the Prescription Drug Supply Chain Pricing Transparency Act will require the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study and submit a report to Congress about the ways the current pharmaceutical drug supply chain structure incents drug manufacturers, PBMs, insurance companies, and other actors to price drugs higher.

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