[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1569 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1569

 Recognizing the importance of protecting continuous Medicaid coverage 
          for individuals undergoing active cancer treatment.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 21, 2026

Mrs. Dingell submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                  the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the importance of protecting continuous Medicaid coverage 
          for individuals undergoing active cancer treatment.

Whereas cancer treatment may require surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, 
        immunotherapy, medications, imaging, laboratory testing, rehabilitation, 
        and ongoing follow up care;
Whereas cancer and cancer treatment can temporarily or permanently limit an 
        individual's ability to work or meet Medicaid community engagement 
        requirements required by section 1902(xx) of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1396a(xx));
Whereas interruptions in health coverage during cancer treatment can delay care, 
        interrupt medications and treatment, increase financial hardship, and 
        place patients at unnecessary risk;
Whereas, according to a study from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 
        75.5 percent of cancer patients reported delayed or foregone care due to 
        administrative burdens, such as insurance interactions, provider 
        organization interactions, and care coordination between multiple 
        parties;
Whereas CMS-2454-IFC clarifies the exemption from community engagement 
        requirements for certain individuals who are medically frail or have 
        special medical needs when their condition significantly impairs their 
        ability to meet those requirements;
Whereas States may use reliable information already available to Medicaid 
        programs, including claims, encounter data, and other health information 
        to determine whether an individual qualifies for such an exemption;
Whereas individuals undergoing cancer treatment should not be required to 
        repeatedly prove medical circumstances that a State Medicaid program may 
        already be able to verify; and
Whereas unnecessary paperwork and reporting requirements can create barriers to 
        care for individuals already managing a serious illness: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes that continuity of health coverage is 
        especially important for individuals undergoing active cancer 
        treatment;
            (2) encourages States--
                    (A) to establish procedures to proactively identify 
                Medicaid beneficiaries undergoing active cancer 
                treatment through available claims, encounter data, and 
                other reliable health information;
                    (B) when those records demonstrate cancer, cancer 
                treatment, or treatment-related effects, to determine 
                that individual eligible for the applicable medical 
                exemption without requiring additional reporting from 
                the patient;
                    (C) to use existing Medicaid records whenever 
                possible for subsequent verification so that patients 
                are not repeatedly required to document the same 
                medical circumstances;
                    (D) when existing records are insufficient, to 
                permit a simple certification from the individual's 
                treating oncologist, physician, or other qualified 
                health care professional;
                    (E) to provide clear notice, reasonable assistance, 
                and an opportunity to establish an exemption before 
                Medicaid coverage is suspended or terminated; and
                    (F) to adopt similar processes for other chronic 
                illnesses and diseases;
            (3) encourages the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
        Services--
                    (A) to provide States with guidance and technical 
                assistance to make these procedures as simple and 
                automatic as possible for eligible cancer patients; and
                    (B) to issue similar guidance to States as it 
                relates to other chronic diseases; and
            (4) affirms that no individual undergoing active cancer 
        treatment should have lifesaving care interrupted solely 
        because illness, treatment, or treatment-related effects 
        prevented that person from satisfying an administrative or 
        community engagement requirement.
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