A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The CHECK Act of 2026 aims to promote the availability of healthcare information and increase transparency. It requires health plan service providers to disclose detailed pricing, fee schedules, and remittance information to group health plans and insurance issuers. The bill also mandates that health plans provide participants with itemized explanations of benefits in clear language. Additionally, healthcare providers must provide written, itemized bills that include specific details and price disclosures. Finally, the Act establishes penalties for non-compliance by service providers and healthcare facilities.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +7
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill protects consumers from unforeseen charges by requiring binding good faith estimates and detailed itemized billing.
- Scored +6
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill significantly increases transparency in healthcare pricing and administrative service provider agreements.
- Scored +5
Does this strengthen the Affordable Care Act?
The bill strengthens transparency and oversight within the health insurance and plan administration processes.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Transparency for Health Plans: Health plan service providers must provide detailed information regarding calculation methodologies, pricing, fee schedules, and all forms of remuneration (such as rebates or discounts) to group health plans or insurance issuers (Section 2, subsection (b)(1)(B-E)).
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Improved Communication of Benefits: Group health plans and insurance issuers are required to provide participants, beneficiaries, or enrollees with a notification in clear and understandable language that includes an itemized explanation of benefits (Section s 3(a)(2) and 3(b)(1)).
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Detailed Information on Services: The required explanation of benefits must include a plain language description of each item or service, applicable billing codes, the amount the plan is responsible for paying, and the amount of any cost-sharing for which the individual is responsible (Section 3(a)(2)(B)(i-v)).
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Standardized Itemized Billing: Healthcare providers or facilities must provide a written, itemized bill for services, which includes the price, the billed amount, any payments already made on behalf of the individual, and information regarding charity care policies (Section 4(a)(1)(B)(iii-vii)).
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Protection from Unforeseen Charges: Healthcare providers are prohibited from taking collection actions if they have not provided a required itemized bill or if the amount exceeds a previously provided good faith estimate, unless the provider can document that the extra charges were due to unforeseen complications or patient-initiated changes (Section 4(a)(2)(A)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Compliance Burdens for Providers: Healthcare providers and facilities may face penalties of up to $10,000 for each instance of failure to comply with the new itemized billing requirements (Section 4(b)(1)).
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Financial Penalties for Service Providers: Health plan service providers face a civil penalty of $100,000 for each day a violation continues regarding the required information disclosures to health plans (Section 2(c)(d)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Healthcare
- Does this strengthen the Affordable Care Act? — The bill strengthens transparency and oversight within the health insurance and plan administration processes. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill improves healthcare access by requiring providers to disclose charity care policies and language assistance services.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill aids low-income households by requiring the disclosure of charity care policies and protecting against unexpected costs. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The bill includes requirements for information regarding language-assistance services which can assist those with various accessibility needs.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill protects consumers from unforeseen charges by requiring binding good faith estimates and detailed itemized billing.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill significantly increases transparency in healthcare pricing and administrative service provider agreements.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill supports poverty reduction by mandating disclosure of charity care policies and protecting patients from unexpected medical bills.
- 6/3/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced in House
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.