Cotton Introduces Bill to Help Arkansas Seniors Obtain Timely Medicare Coverage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tatum Wallace or Hannah McCarthy September 23, 2026 Cotton Introduces Bill to Help Arkansas Seniors Obtain Timely Medicare Coverage WASHINGTON —Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico) today introduced legislation to eliminate bureaucratic red tape that impedes Arkansas seniors’ access to new medical devices and services. The Ensuring Timely Access to Coverage Decisions Act would increase transparency by establishing deadlines for Medicare administrators to determine if a certain item or service is covered. “Arkansas seniors deserve access to high-quality medical treatments, and they shouldn’t have to wait on the slow clock of government to obtain coverage for them. Our bill would require Medicare administrators to give seniors prompt, transparent decisions about their coverage, ensuring they can address their health concerns in a timely manner,” said Senator Cotton . “Medicare beneficiaries should not have to wait years for cutting edge treatments while medical science and technology advance rapidly. Patients deserve a coverage process that is timely, transparent, and informed by qualified health experts. My Timely Access to Coverage Decisions Act will bring greater accountability and certainty to Medicare coverage decisions so patients can access the care they need without unnecessary delays,” said Senator Luján. Text of the bill can be found here . The Ensuring Timely Access to Coverage Decisions Act would: Require Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to report whether a Local Coverage Determinations (LCD) request is completed within 60 days. Require MACs to issue a final decision on LCD requests within 365 days. Apply the 60-day completeness determination and 365-day decision deadline to LCD reconsideration requests. Require MACs to publicly post proposed LCD requests, supporting evidence for LCDs, coding and billing information, and written rationales before LCDs can take effect. Require MACs to hold public meetings, accept public comments, and obtain inputs from expert panels and organizations representing Medicare beneficiaries during the LCD process. Establish evidence-based standards for LCDs. ###