A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
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 Lowering Health Care Costs for Americans Act aims to reduce healthcare expenses through various regulatory changes and increased transparency. It introduces Healthcare Affordability Accounts to facilitate premium tax credit payments and mandates that hospitals, laboratories, imaging providers, and surgical centers disclose standard charges and negotiated rates. The legislation extends the duration of temporary enhanced premium credits through the year 2031 and provides grants for state-led insurance stability. Additionally, the bill establishes strict requirements for group health plans to provide itemized benefit notifications and requires healthcare providers to issue plain language, itemized bills to patients. Finally, the act implements new oversight measures regarding financial disclosures and imposes penalties for non-compliance.
Yes· 3 of 15
- Scored +7
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill significantly increases transparency through mandatory public disclosure of medical charges and insurance rates.
- Scored +6
Does this strengthen the Affordable Care Act?
The bill extends enhanced premium tax credits through 2031 and establishes Healthcare Affordability Accounts.
- Scored +6
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill increases consumer protections by requiring itemized bills, good faith estimates, and transparent explanations of benefits.
The opposite· 3 of 6
- Scored -9
Would LGBTQ people be better off under this?
The bill explicitly excludes coverage for gender transition procedures from qualified health plans.
- Scored -8
Does this expand the rights of LGBTQ people?
The bill explicitly prohibits coverage of gender transition procedures under qualified health plans and restricts use of affordability accounts for them.
- Scored -6
Does this make abortion easier to get?
The bill imposes restrictions on using premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions for plans that cover abortion services.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Healthcare Affordability Accounts: This provision facilitates enrollment and moves premium tax credits into specific accounts to help individuals manage costs (Section 103).
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Enhanced Premium Credits: The bill extends the duration of temporary enhanced premium credits through the year 2031 (Section 105).
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Increased Price Transparency: By requiring hospitals, laboratories, imaging providers, and surgical centers to make their standard charges and negotiated rates public, consumers can better compare prices (Sections 201, 202, 203, and 204).
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Hospital Price Transparency: Hospitals must provide a plain language description of services and a discounted cash price, which can be used as payment in full (Section 201).
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State Innovation and Stability: The bill provides grants to states to establish reinsurance programs and high-risk pools to help stabilize insurance premiums (Section 111).
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Improved Health Plan Data Access: Group health plans gain better access to claims and encounter data, which helps them ensure the accuracy of payments (Section 206).
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Increased Financial Transparency for Plans: Health plan service providers must provide detailed information regarding calculation methodologies, pricing, fee schedules, and all remuneration such as rebates and discounts to group health plans (Section 726(b)(1)). This helps plans accurately assess and verify reimbursement amounts.
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Standardized Data Access: The bill requires that data be provided in specific electronic formats, such as ASC X12N 837 or NCPDP, ensuring that group health plans receive consistent and usable information (Section 726(b)(4)).
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Enhanced Clarity in Benefits: For plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, group health plans must provide participants with notifications that include plain language descriptions, all applicable billing codes, the amount the plan is responsible for paying, and the amount the participant has incurred toward deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums (Section 209(a)).
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Improved Billing Accuracy for Patients: Healthcare providers are required to provide a written, itemized bill that includes a plain language description of services, the price/billed amount, and any payments already made on behalf of the individual (Section 210(a)(1)).
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Protection Against Unforeseen Charges: Healthcare providers are prohibited from taking collection actions against individuals if they have not provided a compliant itemized bill or if the charges exceed the provided good faith estimate, unless the provider can document that the increase was due to unforeseen medical complications (Section 210(a)(2)).
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Access to Support and Assistance: Itemized bills must include information regarding the availability of language-assistance services and contact information for an individual authorized to discuss the statement (Section 210(a)(1)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Premium Payment Limitations: The bill introduces limits on the premium assistance amount based on household income levels (Section 101).
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Verification Burdens: Enrollees over the age of 18 will be required to provide government-issued photo identification for enrollment verification (Section 102).
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Restrictions on Healthcare Use: Amounts in Healthcare Affordability Accounts cannot be used to pay for gender transition procedures or abortion (Section 104).
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Exclusion of Certain Services: Qualified health plans are prohibited from providing coverage for gender transition procedures (Section 109).
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Funding Restrictions: Federal funds for cost-sharing reductions may not be used for health plans that provide coverage for abortion, except in specific circumstances like saving the mother's life (Section 110).
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Compliance Burdens and Penalties for Providers: Health plan service providers face heavy civil penalties of $100,000 per day for failing to comply with required disclosures (Section 726(d)). Similarly, healthcare providers can be penalized up to $10,000 for each instance of failing to provide required itemized bills (Section 210(b)(1)).
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Increased Complexity for Employers and Plans: While the bill increases transparency, it also mandates strict privacy and security compliance under HIPAA for all shared data, which may add administrative layers to the handling of information (Section 726(a)(2)).
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 extends enhanced premium tax credits through 2031 and establishes Healthcare Affordability Accounts. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill improves healthcare access by requiring providers to disclose information on language assistance and charity care policies. Does this lower what a hospital stay costs? — Mandatory disclosure of standard charges and negotiated rates is intended to allow consumers to find lower-cost care. Does this lower what people pay for private health insurance? — Increased transparency of negotiated rates and administrative fees may help reduce insurance costs over time. Does this lower the price of prescription medicines? — Enhanced transparency for health plan drug rates is intended to provide better oversight of drug pricing. Does this make abortion easier to get? — The bill imposes restrictions on using premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions for plans that cover abortion services.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill significantly increases transparency through mandatory public disclosure of medical charges and insurance rates. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill provides grants and more flexibility for states to implement reinsurance and high-risk pools through 1332 waivers. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill increases federal oversight of hospital pricing and health plan data through new reporting and audit requirements. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The requirement for biometric and government photo ID verification for enrollees increases surveillance of individuals seeking insurance.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill increases consumer protections by requiring itemized bills, good faith estimates, and transparent explanations of benefits. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Increased price transparency for healthcare services may promote more efficient market competition.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Mandating disclosure of charity care policies helps low-income individuals manage medical costs. Does this expand the rights of LGBTQ people? — The bill explicitly prohibits coverage of gender transition procedures under qualified health plans and restricts use of affordability accounts for them.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Low-income households benefit from requirements regarding charity care disclosures and protection against unexpected charges. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Increased transparency in health plan administration and provider billing provides financial clarity for middle-class families. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The mandate for language assistance and clear billing information supports individuals with various needs. Would LGBTQ people be better off under this? — The bill explicitly excludes coverage for gender transition procedures from qualified health plans. Would women be better off under this? — The bill restricts federal funding and tax credits for coverage that includes abortion services. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill imposes high civil penalties for non-compliance with new transparency and disclosure mandates.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill mandates strict security and privacy compliance under HIPAA for shared health data.
- 12/9/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Introduced in Senate
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.