Health Disparity Zones Act of 2026

This bill creates a program that labels certain areas in the country as "Health Disparity Zones" if those areas have measurable differences in health outcomes compared to other places. The designation lasts for 10 years and makes these zones eligible for grants, student loan repayment programs for health care workers who serve there, and tax credits for both employers and workers in those zones. Nonprofit organizations or local government agencies can team up with health care providers and others to apply to the Department of Health and Human Services for the designation, and they must include a plan for how they would improve health in the area. The department must also work with other agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development and consider things like geographic diversity when deciding which areas to approve.

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