# 119-s-3822: Break Up Big Medicine Act

119-s-3822, Break Up Big Medicine Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3822
- As of: 2026-08-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3822
- Congress: 119
- Title: Break Up Big Medicine Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-02-10
- Sponsor: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-11

## Summary

**Breaks common ownership between health care providers and insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and drug or device wholesalers.** The Break Up Big Medicine Act would require companies that own both a provider or management services organization and an insurer, PBM, or wholesaler to divest one side within one year and puts new enforcement and civil tools in place to ensure compliance. - Families and patients: Would create a pathway for individuals to sue for damages, including treble (3x) damages and attorney’s fees, and directs disgorged revenues into a fund for health care needs of harmed communities, including overcharged consumers. - Health care companies and owners: Would require divestiture within one year for violations and allow a divestiture trustee to sell assets if deadlines are missed. The Federal Trade Commission or the Department of Justice must escrow 10 percent of a violator’s profits each month when divestiture milestones are missed. - Regulators and states: Would give the Federal Trade Commission and the DOJ Antitrust Division primary enforcement authority, permit state attorneys general to sue parens patriae on behalf of residents, require FTC rulemaking, and mandate quarterly compliance reports to Congress.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO] (R-MO), 2026-02-10T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Ban on health care vertical ownership: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would make it illegal for a person to own both a health care provider or management services organization and either (A) an insurer plus a pharmacy benefit manager or (B) a drug or device wholesaler. The bill would define who counts as a provider, MSO, PBM, and wholesaler. Owne…
- New enforcement and consumer remedies: mixed, medium. If enacted, the FTC and the Justice Department would enforce the ownership ban and courts could order violators to stop, divest, and disgorge profits. Disgorged money would go into an FTC-created fund to serve harmed communities and overcharged consumers. If companies miss divestiture milestones, 1…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026
- 119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act
- 119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-s-4509: PBM Act

## Sources
- [119-s-3822 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3822)

## Related
- [119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5071)
- [119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5022)
- [119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2819)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1541)
- [119-s-4509: PBM Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4509)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3822 (as of 2026-08-11).