Patient Choice and Access Act of 2026

This bill, titled the "Patient Choice and Access Act of 2026," amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to remove the mandate for qualified health plans (QHPs) to maintain a provider network. Specifically, for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, the Secretary of Health and Human Services would be prohibited from requiring QHPs to have a network or from denying their certification to participate in an Exchange solely due to the absence of a network. To ensure consumer protection, the bill establishes new transparency requirements for QHPs that opt not to maintain a provider network. These plans must provide enrollees and potential enrollees with clear, plain language information regarding expected out-of-pocket costs and the potential for balance billing . Additionally, such plans would be required to offer adequate customer service or online resources to assist individuals in finding providers who accept the plan's benefit amounts as full payment for services.