# 119-s-1031: ROCR Value Based Program Act

119-s-1031, ROCR Value Based Program Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1031
- As of: 2026-09-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1031
- Congress: 119
- Title: ROCR Value Based Program Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-03-13
- Sponsor: Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-19

## Summary

**Creates a Medicare value‑based, per‑episode payment system for radiation oncology.** It would shift payments from fee‑for‑service to unified case rates that aim to reward quality, stabilize payments, and improve near‑home access for patients.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-03-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS] (R-KS), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (R-AK), 2026-04-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV] (R-WV), 2026-07-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (R-MT), 2026-09-17T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Help with rides to radiation treatment: benefit, medium. If enacted, providers could get a $500 add‑on per episode (rising $10 each year) to help patients who report transportation insecurity and have ICD‑10 Z59.82 recorded. The payment would go to the technical component provider, could not replace other transport benefits, and would not change your coi…
- Some treatments excluded for 12 years: cost, medium. If enacted, the new payment program would not cover brachytherapy, proton beam therapy, intraoperative radiotherapy, superficial radiation therapy, hyperthermia, or therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals for 12 years after the rules take effect. After 12 years, the Secretary could add any of these back o…
- New Medicare episode pay for radiation therapy: mixed, high. This bill would create a per‑episode payment program for Medicare radiation therapy, with rules issued within one year. Most Medicare radiation providers would have to join, with case‑by‑case hardship exceptions and an option out for some state models. Rates would start from 2021 base tables, then…
- Provider bonuses, penalties, and special payments: mixed, medium. This bill would give accredited providers that meet EHR rules a 1% payment boost for two years; limited‑resource sites would get 0.25%. After two years, providers that fail accreditation would face a 2.5% cut; limited‑resource sites would not be cut, and the rules would cap these sites at no more t…
- Your radiation coinsurance and payment plans: mixed, medium. If enacted, Medicare would pay providers 80% of the episode amount and you would owe 20% coinsurance. Your coinsurance would be based on the payment amount before any sequestration cuts. Providers could let you pay that 20% in installments under a payment plan, but they could not market their servi…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-1261: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025
- 119-s-383: JOBS Act of 2025
- 119-s-1677: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act
- 119-s-2426: Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act
- 119-s-339: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act

## Sources
- [119-s-1031 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1031)

## Related
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-1261: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1261)
- [119-s-383: JOBS Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-383)
- [119-s-1677: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1677)
- [119-s-2426: Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2426)
- [119-s-339: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-339)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1031 (as of 2026-09-19).