Abolish the CMMI Act
- Sponsor
- Rep. Bean, Aaron [R-FL-4]
- Committees
- Ways and Means Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Apr 15, 2026
Bottom line
This bill eliminates the federal entity tasked with developing and testing new healthcare payment and service delivery models for Medicare and Medicaid, effectively ending its role in driving healthcare innovation.
What it actually does
This bill directly abolishes the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), a component of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) responsible for testing innovative payment and service delivery models. It also repeals Section 1115A of the Social Security Act, which is the statutory authority that established CMMI and outlines its powers and responsibilities.
Proponents argue
Proponents argue that CMMI has overstepped its authority, imposed burdensome mandates on providers, and failed to demonstrate significant cost savings or quality improvements commensurate with its budget. They contend that its experimental models often lead to increased administrative complexity and do not align with market-driven healthcare solutions, advocating for its abolition to reduce government overreach and allow market forces to drive innovation.
Opponents contend
Opponents would argue that CMMI is crucial for modernizing Medicare and Medicaid, driving innovation, and finding ways to deliver higher quality care more efficiently. They would assert that abolishing CMMI would halt valuable experiments, stifle progress in healthcare delivery, and remove a key mechanism for addressing rising healthcare costs and improving patient outcomes, potentially leading to a less efficient and less adaptable healthcare system.
The bill text is exceptionally short and straightforward, requiring minimal time to read and understand its direct legislative effect.
Section 2
Abolition of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation
This section explicitly states that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) is abolished. CMMI, established by the Affordable Care Act, is responsible for designing, implementing, and testing new healthcare payment and service delivery models within Medicare and Medicaid to improve quality and reduce costs. Its abolition would cease all ongoing and future innovation model development and implementation.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that CMMI has failed to deliver on its promise of cost savings and improved quality, often imposing burdensome and ineffective models on providers. Abolishing it would reduce administrative overhead, free providers from mandatory participation in unproven models, and allow for more market-driven innovation.
Critics contend
Opponents contend that CMMI is a vital engine for healthcare innovation, testing new approaches to payment and care delivery that are essential for controlling costs and improving patient outcomes in Medicare and Medicaid. Its abolition would stifle progress and remove a key tool for addressing systemic challenges in the healthcare system.
Tradeoffs
The bill presents a tension between centralized, federally-driven healthcare innovation and a desire for less government intervention and more market-based solutions. It trades the potential for CMMI-led improvements and cost savings for reduced administrative burden and a different approach to healthcare system evolution.
Section 3
Repeal of CMMI's Statutory Authority
This section repeals Section 1115A of the Social Security Act, which is the original statutory authority that established the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) and outlined its powers and responsibilities. This repeal ensures that CMMI cannot be re-established or continue its functions without new legislative action, solidifying its abolition.