S. 5496
Introduced in Senate · October 8, 2026September 24, 2026
Mr. Warner introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
A BILL
To expand access to and lower the cost of health care.
1. Short title; table of contents; TITLE I—RESTORING HEALTH CARE AND LOWERING COSTS; 101. Repeal of reconciliation health provisions; 102. Permanent extension of enhanced tax credit; 103. Promoting consumer outreach and education; TITLE II—PATHWAY TO UNIVERSAL COVERAGE; 201. Establishment of health plan; 202. Availability of plan; 203. Affordability; 204. Participating providers; 205. Provider payment rates; 206. No effect on Medicare benefits or Medicare trust funds; TITLE III—STRENGTHENING MEDICAID; 301. Increased FMAP for medical assistance to newly eligible individuals; 302. Supporting State Medicaid programs through economic downturns; TITLE IV—LOWERING DRUG COSTS; 401. Expanding Medicare drug price negotiation; 402. Application of prescription drug inflation rebates to drugs furnished in the commercial market; 403. Establishing an out-of-pocket limit on expenditures for prescription drugs under group health plans and group and individual health insurance coverage; 404. Requirements with respect to cost-sharing for insulin products; TITLE V—ENSURING QUALITY HEALTH INSURANCE AND REMOVING BARRIERS TO CARE; 501. Required exceptions process for medication step therapy protocols; 502. Establishing requirements with respect to the use of prior authorization under Medicare Advantage plans; 503. Special enrollment period for provider terminations; 504. Providing coverage for hearing care under the Medicare program; TITLE VI—LOWERING THE COST OF CARE; 601. Strengthening hospital price transparency; 602. Clinical diagnostic laboratory price transparency; 603. Imaging services price transparency; 604. Ambulatory surgical center price transparency; 605. Strengthening health coverage transparency requirements; 606. Increasing group health plan access to health data; 607. Oversight of administrative service providers; 608. State preemption only in event of conflict; 609. Requirement for explanation of benefits; 610. Transparency in billing; 611. Technical amendments; 612. Implementation and enforcement funding; TITLE VII—REFORMING PBMS AND PROTECTING PHARMACIES; 701. Ensuring accurate payments to pharmacies under Medicaid; 702. Preventing the use of abusive spread pricing in Medicaid