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Congress·In Committee·H.R. 8442

Patient Refunds for Bad Denials Act of 2026

Rep. Craig Introduces Patient Refunds for Bad Denials Act to Fine Insurers for High Rejection Rates

This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process after being sent to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for review. It is considered active, but no further hearings or votes have been scheduled at this time. There is no companion bill currently associated with this legislation.

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law
Unlikely to pass

The bill currently lacks support from the opposite party and will likely face heavy pushback from the health insurance industry.

Key Points

Healthcare

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Life & Work

Small business owners who offer group health insurance plans would benefit because the bill applies to group health insurance coverage. If their insurer has high denial rates, the penalty system could lead to better claim approval rates for their employees and potentially refund payments distributed to enrolled workers and owners alike.

The Secretary may impose on each health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage for a plan year beginning on or after January 1, 2027, a civil monetary penalty
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ImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Programs

Disabilities

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Apr 22, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Apr 22, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

News

No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Patient Refunds for Bad Denials Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 8442
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)
D: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.