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Congress Advances Healthcare Transparency Bills

July 23, 2026

This article was updated July 29, 2026 with new information about the Senate HELP Committee markup.

The U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means and the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce recently advanced several bills aimed at increasing transparency in healthcare costs and insurance practices.

One measure from Ways and Means, the Health Care Price Certainty for All Americans Act (H.R. 9645), would require hospitals, laboratories, imaging providers and ambulatory surgical centers to make prices more transparent for patients and employers. The bill would strengthen existing price transparency requirements and increase penalties for providers that fail to comply.

The legislation would also require insurers to:

  • Publicly report negotiated rates, out-of-network payments and prescription drug prices.
  • Provide patients with real-time cost estimates and expected out-of-pocket costs before receiving care.
  • Have a senior executive certify that pricing information is accurate and complete.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee also advanced the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act of 2026 (H.R. 9393). The bill would require hospitals and other providers, including imaging providers, to publicly post standard charges for services and would require health plans to share information on in-network rates and estimated cost-sharing.

Both committees also approved the ACR®-supported Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act (HR. 3514), which would streamline prior authorization requirements in Medicare Advantage.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) also held a markup on transparency. They voted to advance the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act (S. 2355), which includes price transparency for imaging providers and is even broader than the House bills. S. 2355 requires more specific rules on consumer shopping tools, patient billing, explanations of benefits, and employer access to claims data.

The bills must be reconciled and pass the full House and Senate and be signed by the president before they can become law.

For questions or more information, contact ACR Government Affairs Director, Ashley Walton.

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