A bill from an independent
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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 Primary and Behavioral Health Care Access Act of 2026 requires group health plans and health insurance issuers to provide specific coverage for healthcare visits. Under this bill, plans must cover 3 primary care visits and 3 behavioral health care visits per plan year. These specific visits must be provided without any cost-sharing requirements for the individual. The legislation also ensures that treatment limitations and reimbursement rates for these visits are consistent with other covered visits. It amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +7
Does this make mental health care easier to get?
The bill mandates coverage for three behavioral health care visits per year without cost-sharing requirements.
- Scored +6
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill mandates coverage for three primary care visits per year without cost-sharing requirements.
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill eliminates cost-sharing for specific healthcare visits which reduces the financial burden on low-income individuals.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Elimination of out-of-pocket costs for essential visits: Group health plans and insurance issuers would be required to provide 3 primary care visits and 3 behavioral health care visits without any cost-sharing requirements (Section 2, subsection a).
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Protection against restrictive treatment limits: The bill ensures that the treatment limitations for these specific visits are no more restrictive than any other primary or behavioral health care visit covered by the plan (Section 2, subsection b, paragraph 1).
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Fair reimbursement for healthcare services: The bill requires that reimbursement rates for these specific visits are the same as the rates for any other primary or behavioral health care visit covered by the plan (Section 2, subsection b, paragraph 2).
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Access to a wide range of qualified providers: The bill defines qualified providers broadly to include various professionals such as general practitioners, pediatricians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, social workers, and psychologists (Section 2, subsection c, paragraph 4).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Delayed implementation of benefits: The amendments regarding these coverage requirements will not apply until plan years beginning at least 2 years after the Act is enacted (Section 2, subsection 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.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill eliminates cost-sharing for specific healthcare visits which reduces the financial burden on low-income individuals. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill eliminates cost-sharing for specific healthcare visits which reduces the financial burden on middle-income individuals. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The bill increases access to behavioral health services by removing cost-sharing requirements. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill provides cost-free access to primary and behavioral health visits for those covered under group health plans.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill mandates coverage for three behavioral health care visits per year without cost-sharing requirements. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill mandates coverage for three primary care visits per year without cost-sharing requirements. Does this strengthen the Affordable Care Act? — The bill expands coverage requirements for group health plans to include specific primary and behavioral health visits.
- 6/11/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.