Bill · S. 3840· Senate(119-S-3840)
Health Investment Zones Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 2/11/2026
- Last activity
- 2/11/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Sponsored by
- Alex Padilla
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill establishes the "Health Investment Zones Act of 2026" to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes in specific areas. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will designate these zones based on applications from community-based nonprofits or local government agencies. To qualify, an area must demonstrate documented health disparities through factors like low income or lower life expectancy. The Act provides several incentives, including tax credits for workers, grants for community organizations, and a student loan repayment program for practitioners. Additionally, it creates incentive payments for certain Medicare Part B items and services provided within these zones. The goal is to improve health services delivery and increase provider capacity in underserved regions.
Yes· 3 of 12
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+7
The bill expands healthcare capacity through practitioner loan repayments, grants for mobile clinics, and increased Medicare incentives.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+6
The bill specifically targets areas with income levels below 150 percent of the federal poverty line to improve services.
Would people over 65 be better off under this?+5
Increased Medicare incentive payments for wellness visits and screenings benefit the elderly population.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Tax Incentives for Workers: The bill provides a work opportunity credit for qualified Health Investment Zone workers to encourage employment in these areas (Section 3(a)). Additionally, there is a tax credit equal to 30 percent of wages received for qualified Health Investment Zone work (Section 3(b)).
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Financial Support for Health Communities: The Secretary may award grants to community-based nonprofit organizations or local government agencies to support plans that reduce health disparities and improve outcomes (Section 4(a)).
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Support for Healthcare Practitioners: Grant funds may be used for subgrants to healthcare practitioners to help with costs related to innovative strategies (Section 4(b)(1)). There is also a student loan repayment program that allows the Secretary to make payments on the principal and interest of eligible educational loans for practitioners who agree to provide full-time services in a zone (Section 5(a) and 5(d)).
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Increased Healthcare Access and Services: Grants may fund various innovative strategies, such as mobile clinics, transportation to medical appointments, and improved access to healthy food, recreation, and high-quality housing (Section 4(b)(2)).
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Medicare Payment Incentives: For items and services furnished under Medicare Part B in a designated zone, an additional payment of 10 percent may be paid (Section 6(a)(1)(A)). Certain services, such as annual wellness visits or preventative screenings, also qualify for these additional payments (Section 6(a)(1)(C)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Application Requirements and Competition: To receive a designation or grant, organizations must submit an effective and sustainable plan that includes specific disease indicators, such as diabetes or asthma (Section 2(d)).
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Student Loan Repayment Limits: The student loan repayment program is subject to specific limits, where the Secretary may not pay more than $10,000 per year or more than a total of $100,000 for a single practitioner (Section 5(b)).
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Restrictions on Loan Repayment: Borrowers cannot receive payments from this program for the same service provided by another federally supported loan program, and they cannot receive payments for loans that have already been forgiven or cancelled (Section 5(c)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+6Good For Rural Residents+5Good For Seniors+5Good For Children+4
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+7Improves Mental Health Access+5Increases Medicare Funding+5
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+4Improves Economic Growth+3Reduces Middle Class Taxes+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Racial Equity+5Improves Poverty Reduction+4
- 2/11/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.