Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Rules, 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 CommonGround for Affordable Health Care Act extends and expands health insurance premium tax credits through 2026, making subsidies available to more middle-income Americans by raising the income eligibility cap from 400% to 1,000% of the poverty level, while also reducing out-of-pocket costs for enrollees. The bill establishes new federal standards and oversight for insurance agents, brokers, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) effective by January 2029, including requirements that agents act in enrollees' best interests, strict transparency rules for PBMs regarding drug pricing and pharmacy relationships, and civil and criminal penalties up to 10 years imprisonment for fraud. The legislation also strengthens marketplace operations by requiring the removal of deceased enrollees within 90 days, extending the 2026 open enrollment period through March 19, 2026, and mandating that consumers receive advance notice of their premium tax credit amounts before enrollment. To support implementation, the bill provides $113 million to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and $20 million to the HHS Inspector General starting in 2029, and directs studies on how drug supply chain intermediaries use pricing structures to affect federal health programs. Additionally, the bill creates an expedited legislative process requiring floor votes on future health insurance premium tax credit extension bills by July 1, 2026.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.