The ACO Assignment Improvement Act expands participation in Medicare’s coordinated-care programs by ensuring Medicare recognizes the care patients receive from nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists when determining their participation in an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). This change will help Medicare patients receive more seamless, coordinated, and high-quality care. ... By expanding Accountable Care Organizations to include more providers, we can help lower costs and make care easier for patients to navigate.
Introduce legislation to expand participation in Medicare's coordinated-care Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs by ensuring Medicare recognizes care from nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists for ACO assignment, increasing patient access to coordinated and high-quality care.
Occurrences
Evidence
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On December 4, 2025, Senators John Barrasso and Sheldon Whitehouse introduced the ACO Assignment Improvement Act to expand Medicare's coordinated-care programs by recognizing care from nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists for ACO assignment.
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The ACO Assignment Improvement Act of 2025, introduced by Senators Barrasso and Whitehouse, aims to amend the Social Security Act to improve beneficiary assignment under the Medicare Shared Savings Program by including primary care services furnished by nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists.
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A bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Whitehouse and Barrasso would allow patients who receive primary care from nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists to be included in Medicare's ACO models, addressing current limitations that assign patients to ACOs only if they receive care from a physician.
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The ACO Assignment Improvement Act, introduced by Senators Whitehouse and Barrasso, would authorize assignment of patients treated exclusively by physician assistants and nurse practitioners to Medicare shared savings accountable care organizations, removing current limitations that exclude such patients from ACO participation.
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Barrasso and Whitehouse said they introduced the ACO Assignment Improvement Act to expand Medicare ACO participation by having Medicare count care from nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists when determining ACO assignment.
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Congress.gov lists Sen. Barrasso as sponsor, shows the latest action as read twice and referred to the Senate Finance Committee on 2025-12-04, and marks the bill status as Introduced.
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Congress.gov lists Sen. John Barrasso as the sponsor of S.3350, introduced December 4, 2025. The latest recorded action is referral to the Senate Finance Committee, and the tracker status remains Introduced.
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The introduced bill text says Barrasso, with Whitehouse, introduced S.3350 to amend Medicare Shared Savings Program beneficiary assignment so it also reflects primary care services from nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists.
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Barrasso's Senate office announced that Barrasso and Whitehouse introduced the ACO Assignment Improvement Act to expand Medicare coordinated-care participation by counting patient care from nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists for ACO participation determinations.
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Last Action Date Listed December 4, 2025 Action Mr. Barrasso (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
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To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the way beneficiaries are assigned under the Medicare shared savings program by also basing such assignment on primary care services furnished by nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists.
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Mr. Barrasso (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
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Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and John Barrasso (R-WY) have introduced bipartisan legislation to expand access to quality-driven health care.
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The ACO Assignment Improvement Act updates this policy to ensure that patients who rely on NPs, PAs, and clinical nurse specialists for primary care can participate in the ACO model alongside those who see physicians.
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Latest action (Dec 4, 2025) Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S8512)
Assessments
The promise was to introduce legislation, not necessarily to enact the ACO assignment change. Congress.gov shows Barrasso as sponsor of S.3350, the ACO Assignment Improvement Act of 2025, introduced on December 4, 2025 and referred to Senate Finance. The bill text and CRS summary match the promised mechanism by requiring Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO assignment to reflect primary care services from nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists. Because the promised action was introduction and Barrasso sponsored the bill during his current Senate term, this counts as delivered in the same term even though the bill has not become law.
The promise was to introduce legislation on this Medicare ACO assignment change, not necessarily to enact it. Evidence shows Sen. John Barrasso sponsored and introduced the ACO Assignment Improvement Act on December 4, 2025, specifically to have Medicare count care from nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists for ACO assignment. Because the promised action was completed by introducing the bill while he was in office, this counts as delivered in the same term.
Senator Barrasso introduced legislation specifically meeting the promised policy goal by seeking to expand participation in Medicare ACOs to patients cared for by nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists. However, the evidence does not show that the legislation was passed or the policy fully implemented; thus, only the act of introduction and legislative effort are verified.