Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The bill adds a new part to the Public Health Service Act requiring health care sharing ministries (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) to disclose annual financial and operational data to federal agencies and to prospective and current enrollees. Required disclosures include reserves, membership counts, premiums collected, claims paid and denied rates, average out-of-pocket costs, provider relationships, lists of excluded services, appeals procedures, and geographic availability.
Scope: transparency protection versus federal intrusion into faith-based programs
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a substantive regulatory change that is fairly well-specified in terms of required disclosures, recipients, and high-level enforcement authority, and it includes a separate recurring FTC reporting requirement.
The bill adds a new part to the Public Health Service Act requiring health care sharing ministries (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) to disclose annual financial and operational data to federal agencies and to prospective and current enrollees.
Required disclosures include reserves, membership counts, premiums collected, claims paid and denied rates, average out-of-pocket costs, provider relationships, lists of excluded services, appeals procedures, and geographic availability.
Entities that enroll people on behalf of ministries must give consumers information about ACA premium tax credits, Medicaid/Medicare eligibility, benefit comparisons, and that ministries are not insurance.
Modest chance: non‑controversial consumer-disclosure approach helps, but ideological and procedural resistance, plus potential litigation risk, reduce prospects.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a substantive regulatory change that is fairly well-specified in terms of required disclosures, recipients, and high-level enforcement authority, and it includes a separate recurring FTC reporting requirement. It integrates with existing statutes and prescribes many concrete data elements.
Scope: transparency protection versus federal intrusion into faith-based programs
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Scope: transparency protection versus federal intrusion into faith-based programs
Likely supportive overall as a consumer-protection and transparency measure that addresses gaps in accountability for health care sharing ministries.
Would welcome public data on denial rates, reserves, and out-of-pocket burdens, while pressing for stronger enforcement and higher penalties.
May view the bill as a first step but insufficient if ministries continue to skirt insurance protections.
Views the bill as a pragmatic, targeted transparency reform that improves consumer information without immediately banning ministries.
Appreciates requirements that enrollment agents disclose alternatives like ACA tax credits and Medicaid eligibility.
Concerned about administrative burden, accuracy of self-reported data, and the practicality of enforcement.
Likely skeptical and wary of federal intrusion into religiously affiliated health sharing ministries.
Views the bill as burdensome regulation that could stigmatize or hinder voluntary faith-based alternatives to insurance.
Acknowledges some consumer-education and fraud-prevention benefits but objects to biannual public disclosures and potential chilling effects.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Modest chance: non‑controversial consumer-disclosure approach helps, but ideological and procedural resistance, plus potential litigation risk, reduce prospects.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Scope: transparency protection versus federal intrusion into faith-based programs
Modest chance: non‑controversial consumer-disclosure approach helps, but ideological and procedural resistance, plus potential litigation r…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a substantive regulatory change that is fairly well-specified in terms of required disclosures, recipients, and high-level enforcement authority, and it includes a…
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