H.R. 8840
Fair Care Act of 2026
Sponsor: Bruce Westerman · 0 cosponsors
Official summary
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Text of the bill
I Modernization of health savings accounts
A Modernization of health savings accounts and contributions
B Assistance to health savings accounts
II Improving Private Health Insurance
A Maintaining Protections for Patients with Preexisting Conditions
B Expanding Coverage Options
C Improving Commercial Health Insurance
III Competition, Transparency and Accountability
A Provider and Insurer Competition
(a) In general. Section 2729B of the Public Health Service Act, as added by section 301, is amended by adding at the end the following:
(b) Protecting Health Plans Network Design Flexibility
(1) In general. A group health plan or a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage shall not enter into an agreement with a provider, network or association of providers, or other service provider offering access to a network of service providers if such agreement, directly or indirectly—
(A) restricts the group health plan or health insurance issuer from—
(i) directing or steering enrollees to other health care providers; or
(ii) offering incentives to encourage enrollees to utilize specific health care providers;
(B) requires the group health plan or health insurance issuer to enter into any additional contract with an affiliate of the provider, such as an affiliate of the provider, as a condition of entering into a contract with such provider;
(C) requires the group health plan or health insurance issuer to agree to payment rates or other terms for any affiliate not party to the contract of the provider involved; or
(D) restricts other group health plans or health insurance issuers not party to the contract from paying a lower rate for items or services than the contracting plan or issuer pays for such items or services.
(2) Additional requirement for self-insured plans. A self-insured group health plan shall not enter into an agreement with a provider, network or association of providers, third-party administrator, or other service provider offering access to a network of providers if such agreement directly or indirectly requires the group health plan to certify, attest, or otherwise confirm in writing that the group health plan is bound by restrictive contracting terms between the service provider and a third-party administrator that the group health plan is not party to, without a disclosure that such terms exist.
(3) Exception for certain group model issuers. Paragraph (1)(A) shall not apply to a group health plan or health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage with respect to—
(A) a health maintenance organization (as defined in section 2791(b)(3)), if such health maintenance organization operates primarily through exclusive contracts with multi-specialty physician groups, nor to any arrangement between such a health maintenance organization and its affiliates; or
(B) a value-based network arrangement, such as an exclusive provider network, accountable care organization, center of excellence, a provider sponsored health insurance issuer that operates primarily through aligned multi-specialty physician group practices or integrated health systems, or such other similar network arrangements as determined by the Secretary through rulemaking.
(4) Attestation. A group health plan or health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage shall annually submit to, as applicable, the applicable authority described in section 2723 or the Secretary of Labor, an attestation that such plan or issuer is in compliance with the requirements of this subsection.
(c) Maintenance of existing HIPAA, GINA, and ADA protections. Nothing in this section shall modify, reduce, or eliminate the existing privacy protections and standards provided by reason of State and Federal law, including the requirements of parts 160 and 164 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulations).
(d) Regulations. The Secretary, not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Fair Care Act of 2026, shall promulgate regulations to carry out this section.
(e) Rule of construction. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit network design or cost or quality initiatives by a group health plan or health insurance issuer, including accountable care organizations, exclusive provider organizations, networks that tier providers by cost or quality or steer enrollees to centers of excellence, or other pay-for-performance programs.
(f) Clarification with respect to antitrust laws. Compliance with this section does not constitute compliance with the antitrust laws, as defined in subsection (a) of the first section of the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. 12(a)).
(b) Effective date. Section 2729B of the Public Health Service Act (as added by section 301 and amended by subsection (a)) shall apply with respect to any contract entered into on or after the date that is 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act. With respect to an applicable contract that is in effect on the date of enactment of this Act, such section 2729B shall apply on the earlier of the date of renewal of such contract or 3 years after such date of enactment.
B Price Transparency
C Prescription Drug Competition and Innovation
D Prescription Drug and Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency
E Medicare and Medicaid Prescription Drug Reforms
F Medical Malpractice Reform
IV Medicare and Medicaid Reforms
A Medicaid Reforms
B Medicare Reforms
C Medicare Choice and Competition
D Telehealth Improvements and Expansion