Health Disparity Zones Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
Introduced
Summary
Health Disparity Zones would concentrate grants, tax incentives, loan repayment, and a Medicare payment boost in small, high-need areas to shrink racial, ethnic, and geographic health gaps. Designations would last 10 fiscal years and target contiguous census-tract or ZIP Code areas that meet poverty and other health-need tests.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Loan repayment for HDZ clinicians
If enacted, HHS would run a loan repayment program for eligible Health Disparity Zone practitioners. Payments would not exceed $10,000 per year, $100,000 total, and no more than 10 years. To qualify you would need to be a licensed clinician with eligible federally funded or guaranteed loans and agree to provide at least one year of service in an HDZ. You could not get repayment for the same service period from other specified federal loan forgiveness programs.
Health Disparity Zone wage credit
If enacted, you would be able to claim a tax credit equal to 40 percent of wages you earn doing qualified Health Disparity Zone work. The credit would apply to wages paid after enactment. Your principal place of employment while earning those wages would have to be inside a designated Health Disparity Zone and the work must meet the bill's definition of qualified HDZ work.
Employer hiring credit for HDZ workers
If enacted, employers would be able to claim the Work Opportunity Tax Credit when they hire certified Health Disparity Zone workers. The credit would apply to first-year wages paid to employees who begin work after enactment. The worker must be certified as having a principal place of employment in an HDZ as of the hiring date and the job must promote access to health care in the HDZ.
Higher Medicare pay in Health Disparity Zones
If enacted, Medicare Part B payments would be increased by 10 percent for items and services furnished in a Health Disparity Zone during that zone's 10-year designation period. The increase would begin on the first day an area is designated and end on the last day of the fiscal year that is 10 fiscal years after enactment. Any beneficiary cost-sharing would still be calculated as if the 10 percent boost did not apply, so out-of-pocket shares would not rise.
New Health Disparity Zones Program
If enacted, the Secretary of HHS would run a 10-year place-based Health Disparity Zones program. The Secretary would start taking applications within 12 months and must designate zones within 18 months. Eligible areas would be one contiguous census tract or ZIP Code in an OMB metro or micropolitan area and must meet listed health disparity indicators (for example, average income below 150% of the federal poverty line, higher WIC participation, lower life expectancy, higher low birth weight, or HPSA status). Grants would go to the applying coalition and could be used for subgrants, capital improvements, mobile clinics, language services, transport, internships, housing or food access work, and medical equipment. Any single subgrant for equipment or capital would be limited to the lesser of $5,000,000 or 50 percent of the cost. The program would be funded by "such sums as may be necessary" for 10 fiscal years after enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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