Healthcare (Women's Health)

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.

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.

This bill prohibits federal funds from being used for abortions or health plans covering abortion. It amends the Affordable Care Act to block premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions for health plans that include abortion coverage (except for rape/incest cases or life-threatening conditions), and requires clear disclosure of abortion coverage and related surcharges in plan materials. The law explicitly exempts abortions performed due to rape, incest, or to preserve a mother's life, and allows separate abortion coverage using non-federal funds. It applies to all federal health programs and ACA marketplace plans, effective for plan years beginning after 2025.

This bill would allow states to waive certain Affordable Care Act requirements for health insurance starting in 2026, provided they maintain a high-risk insurance pool. Residents in participating states would receive funds directly into "Trump Health Freedom Accounts" instead of traditional premium tax credits, which could be used to purchase health insurance with restrictions on coverage for gender transition procedures and abortion services. The bill also modifies tax credits for small employers in participating states and requires better price transparency and outcomes reporting from healthcare providers. It would directly affect residents and small businesses in states that choose to participate in the waiver program.

The Abortion Is Not Health Care Act of 2025 would amend the federal tax code to exclude abortion expenses from deductible medical costs on income tax returns. Specifically, it adds a provision stating that amounts paid for abortions cannot be included in the medical expense deduction under Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code. This change would directly affect taxpayers who previously claimed abortion costs as deductible medical expenses. The provision would apply to taxable years beginning after the bill's enactment date.

This bill establishes a "Health Freedom Waiver Program" that would allow states to opt out of certain Affordable Care Act requirements for health insurance starting in 2026. States choosing this option would need to maintain a high-risk insurance pool, and the federal government would instead fund "Trump Health Freedom Accounts" for eligible residents, replacing premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions. These accounts would provide funds for health insurance but restrict coverage for gender transition procedures and abortion services. The bill also includes modified tax credits for small businesses in waiver states and requires better price transparency in health care through updated reporting requirements.

This bill prohibits health insurance plans sold through the American Health Benefits Exchanges (the ACA marketplace) from covering abortion (except in cases of life endangerment, rape, or incest) or gender-transition procedures for minors. It defines "gender-transition procedures" to include puberty blockers, hormone therapy, or surgeries for minors seeking to align their bodies with their gender identity, with limited medical exceptions. The law directly affects health plans on the ACA marketplace and their enrollees, particularly minors seeking gender-affirming care and individuals seeking abortions outside the specified exceptions. The changes would take effect for plan years starting January 1, 2026.