01/22/2026

Congress Releases Key FY26 Spending Bill Ahead of Fiscal Deadline

What You Need To Know

Congressional appropriators released a bipartisan, four-bill Fiscal Year 2026 funding package that includes the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, extending funding beyond the January 30 deadline and rejecting major cuts proposed in the President’s budget.

The bill includes positive funding levels for HUD Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly, protects Section 8 rental assistance, increases funding for Service Coordinator grants, authorizes two-year grant terms, and supports preservation of older Section 202 properties through the Rental Assistance Demonstration.

Health extenders in the package would continue most Medicare telehealth flexibilities for two years, through December 2027, including hospice face-to-face recertifications via telehealth, while adding program integrity guardrails for hospice providers.

What Happens Next

• House leadership plans to bring the funding package to the floor for a vote later this week.
• LeadingAge is reviewing hospice-specific guardrails tied to telehealth use and will share additional analysis for hospice members in the coming days, along with further detail on the broader HHS and HUD appropriations bills.

What to Do

• Members should monitor upcoming LeadingAge updates for deeper analysis of hospice telehealth provisions, housing funding implications, and next steps as the appropriations process moves forward.