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Read. Follow. Verify.Marijuana Impact on Medicaid Act of 2026
Last action · April 20, 2026: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.Sponsors: Ted Budd and 2 others
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to track and report on how much federal and state Medicaid money is spent on hospital and emergency room visits linked to marijuana use. The Secretary must submit these findings and any policy recommendations to Congress within one year of the bill becoming law.
The bill mandates a federal study that could influence future Medicaid funding policies and healthcare regulations regarding marijuana-related medical services.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Medicaid recipients
The study tracks costs associated with their medical services, which may inform future policy changes.
Department of Health and Human Services
The agency is required to perform data collection and produce a report for Congress.
State governments
The study includes an analysis of state-level Medicaid expenditures related to marijuana use.
Key Facts
- The Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to collect data on federal and state Medicaid expenditures for hospital and emergency room visits related to marijuana use.
- The report must cover costs for inpatient hospital services, outpatient hospital services, and emergency room services.
- The Secretary is responsible for defining what constitutes 'marijuana use' for the purpose of this data collection.
- The Secretary must submit a report to Congress within one year of the bill's enactment.
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- The final report must be made available to the public.
- The report must include any recommendations for legislative or administrative action the Secretary deems appropriate.
- The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will this bill change for Medicaid patients?
Who is responsible for defining 'marijuana use' for this study?
When will the results of this study be available?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Apr 20, 2026SenateCommitteeRead twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Apr 20, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Focus on Marijuana-Related Healthcare Costs
The bill signals a move toward quantifying the specific financial impact of marijuana use on the federal Medicaid budget.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance45How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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