Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 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.
The HELP Copays Act would allow financial assistance from nonprofits and pharmaceutical manufacturers to count toward patients' deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket limits under health insurance plans. Currently, such assistance often does not reduce these cost-sharing amounts, meaning patients may still owe substantial sums even after receiving help from outside sources. The bill affects anyone with group health insurance or individual health coverage and updates related rules in federal health law to ensure consistency across different insurance regulations. The changes take effect for plan years beginning January 1, 2026, and explicitly preserve insurance companies' ability to use utilization management tools like prior authorization and step therapy. The legislation was introduced in December 2025 by a bipartisan group of House members and was referred to the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees.
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