# 119-hr-8377: Stop Deadly Denials Act of 2026

119-hr-8377, Stop Deadly Denials Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17] (D-CA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8377
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8377
- Congress: 119
- Title: Stop Deadly Denials Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-04-20
- Sponsor: Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17] (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Ends most prior authorization in Medicare Advantage and blocks AI-only denials in traditional Medicare.** This bill would bar Medicare Advantage plans from requiring prior authorization for most specified items and services in plan years beginning January 1, 2027, add enforcement penalties for violations, and prevent CMS from testing prior-authorization models like WISeR without physician oversight. - Medicare Advantage enrollees and families would face fewer administrative prior-authorization hurdles for non-Part D and non-supplemental benefits, aiming to reduce delays and denials. - Medicare Advantage plans and providers would be subject to new intermediate sanctions if they impose banned prior-authorizations, and statutory language about prior authorization would be revised to emphasize review and transitional rules through 2027. - CMS and the Innovation Center would be barred from implementing the WISeR model or any substantially similar program and from selecting models that add prior authorization for Part A or B. Models could not deny coverage based solely on AI or algorithmic decisions without physician review and must be processed by Medicare Administrative Contractors.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (D-WA), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] (D-MI), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (D-WI), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- No prior authorization in Medicare Advantage: benefit, medium. This bill would bar Medicare Advantage plans from requiring prior authorization for most items and services in plan years that begin on or after January 1, 2027. The ban would not apply to covered Part D drugs or to supplemental health care benefits. It also would not change prior authorization rul…
- Limits on Medicare prior authorization models: benefit, medium. The bill would stop HHS from implementing the WISeR prior-authorization model described in the July 1, 2025 notice. It would also bar the agency from selecting any new testing model that would add prior authorization for Part A or Part B services. The bill would forbid denials based only on AI or s…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act
- 119-hr-3069: Medicare for All Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-8377 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8377)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3971)
- [119-hr-3069: Medicare for All Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3069)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8377 (as of 2026-09-21).