Healthcare

This bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue a final rule within six months of enactment that reinstates the 2019 regulation protecting healthcare providers' right to refuse certain services based on conscience. It directly affects healthcare providers (like doctors, hospitals, and clinics) who may face conflicts between their religious or moral beliefs and specific medical procedures. The rule must mirror the previous 2019 regulation (45 CFR Part 88) and override any conflicting current rules. It does not create new policies but restores a specific regulatory framework governing conscience protections in healthcare.

This bill prohibits federal health programs (Medicare, Medicaid) and private health insurance from covering organ transplants originating in China or not procured through the U.S. Organ Procurement Network, effective January 1, 2026. It defines a "prohibited organ transplant" as one performed in China or using organs not sourced via the U.S. network, including follow-up care like lab tests or drugs. Exceptions only apply to life-saving services provided *after* such a transplant. The law also imposes criminal penalties (up to 2 years in prison) and civil penalties (three times the cost) for violations.

This bill repeals a federal rule that allowed short-term health insurance plans to be sold with fewer consumer protections. It specifically targets a rule published by the IRS, EBSA, and CMS on April 3, 2024, which governed short-term, limited-duration insurance and certain noncoordinated health benefits. By nullifying this rule, the bill would allow insurers to offer these short-term plans without the restrictions previously imposed. This directly affects insurers selling short-term coverage and consumers purchasing such plans, as it removes requirements related to coverage duration, pre-existing condition limitations, and essential health benefits.

This bill, the Conscience Protection Act of 2025, strengthens protections for healthcare providers and organizations that refuse to participate in certain medical procedures (including abortion, assisted suicide, and sterilization) based on religious, moral, or ethical beliefs. It creates a private right of action allowing affected entities to seek legal remedies when their conscience rights are violated, addressing a gap in current law where victims could not defend their rights in court. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit discrimination against such healthcare entities and establishes clearer enforcement mechanisms through the Department of Health and Human Services, including administrative investigations and civil actions. It directly affects healthcare providers, hospitals, insurers, and other health-related organizations operating under federal funding. The bill aims to address inconsistent enforcement of existing conscience protections like the Weldon Amendment, which has been challenged in cases such as California's abortion coverage mandate.

This bill prohibits federal funding from being used to support any healthcare provider that performs abortions, provides abortion referrals, or funds other abortion providers. Exceptions only apply if the pregnancy results from rape or incest, or if a physician certifies that an abortion is necessary to prevent the woman's death. It would take effect 60 days after enactment and apply broadly to all affiliates, subsidiaries, and clinics of such providers. The law would directly affect organizations receiving federal healthcare funds, including Medicaid providers.

This bill would deny federal tax deductions for gender transition procedures and prohibit Medicaid, Medicare, and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding for such procedures. It defines gender transition procedures broadly to include hormonal treatments, surgeries, and cosmetic procedures intended to align physical appearance with gender identity, with limited exceptions for medically necessary treatments related to disorders of sex development or life-threatening conditions. The legislation would also require health insurance plans to exclude gender transition procedures from essential health benefits under the Affordable Care Act. This would directly affect individuals seeking gender transition care who rely on federal health programs or tax deductions for medical expenses.

Healthcare Freedom and Choice Act This bill nullifies a rule regarding short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans. The rule was promulgated by the Internal Revenue Service, Employee Benefits Security Administration, and Department of Health and Human Services; is titled  Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance and Independent, Noncoordinated Excepted Benefits Coverage ; and was published April 3, 2024. Short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans are plans that may only offer coverage for a limited amount of time and are exempt from the market requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (e.g., coverage of individuals with preexisting conditions). The rule limits the length of the initial contract period for such a plan to no more than three months and, taking into account any renewals or extensions, the maximum coverage period to no more than four months. The rule also includes within the maximum renewal period limitation a new plan sold by the same issuer, or any issuer that is a member of the same controlled group, to the same policyholder within a 12-month period. Regulations in effect prior to the rule this bill nullifies permitted short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans with an initial contract period of fewer than 12 months and a maximum coverage period of up to 36 months, including renewals and extensions.

The Lowering Health Care Costs for Americans Act (S 3389) creates Healthcare Affordability Accounts that would receive premium tax credits instead of direct payments to consumers, with income-based limits on premium assistance ranging from $10 to $40 per month depending on income level. The bill prohibits coverage of gender transition procedures and abortion services under qualified health plans, while requiring detailed price transparency for hospitals, clinical diagnostic laboratories, imaging services, and ambulatory surgical centers to help consumers compare costs. It also mandates itemized bills for healthcare providers, including plain language descriptions of services, billing codes, and payment details, to improve consumer understanding of healthcare costs. The provisions apply to plan years beginning after 2026, with implementation timelines varying by section.

SRES 374 is a non-binding Senate resolution expressing that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lacks the confidence of the Senate and American people to serve in his role. The resolution cites specific actions including the termination of $11 billion in public health funding, mass firings of scientists (notably eliminating 8 Offices of Minority Health), replacing all 17 members of the vaccine advisory committee (ACIP) with critics of vaccines, and dismantling programs supporting maternal health, disability services, and chronic disease research. It alleges these actions violated federal law, undermined scientific integrity, and endangered public health during a measles outbreak. The resolution calls for the Secretary’s removal but has no legal effect, as it is a symbolic statement of disapproval.

The Supplemental Benefits for Individuals Act of 2025 amends Section 2791(c)(4) of the Public Health Service Act to include individual health insurance coverage as an "excepted benefit." This change allows health insurance plans purchased directly by individuals (not through employers) to be classified as excepted benefits, meaning they would not need to cover essential health benefits required of standard health plans under the Affordable Care Act. The bill directly affects individuals who buy health insurance on their own by expanding the types of coverage available without meeting full ACA requirements. The key mechanism is a technical update to the definition of excepted benefits in federal law.