# 119-s-4027: Healthy Competition for Better Care Act

119-s-4027, Healthy Competition for Better Care Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Husted, Jon [R-OH] (R-OH); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-05-02).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4027
- As of: 2026-05-02
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-4027
- Congress: 119
- Title: Healthy Competition for Better Care Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-03-09
- Sponsor: Sen. Husted, Jon [R-OH] (R-OH)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-05-02

## Summary

**Ban anticompetitive contract terms that stop plans from steering patients to higher-quality, lower-cost providers.** This bill would block agreements that limit a plan or issuer from directing participants to providers or offering incentives to use better or cheaper care. - Families and patients: Makes it easier for health plans to steer people toward higher-quality, lower-cost providers by preventing provider clauses that block steering or incentives. - Employers and group health plans: Would bar plans and insurers from signing contracts that restrict plan design, steering, pricing, or incentives and would apply the rule across the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code. - Providers, networks, and states: Preserves exceptions for certain HMOs and value-based networks like accountable care organizations and centers of excellence, and lets States grandfather specified contracts executed on June 19, 2019 and related contracts through December 31, 2020 for up to 10 years. Regulations would be issued by the relevant federal agencies within defined timelines and the rules would apply to contracts entered into, amended, or renewed 18 months after enactment.

## Provisions PRIA read

- More provider choice in health plans: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would stop group health plans and health insurers from signing contracts that limit steering or incentives to other providers. It would ban clauses that force plans to sign extra affiliate agreements, set payment terms for affiliates not party to the deal, or block other plans…
- One-year rule deadline for agencies: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would require HHS, in consultation with Labor and Treasury, to issue regulations implementing the Public Health Service Act changes within one year of enactment. It would require the Labor Secretary, in consultation with HHS and Treasury, to issue ERISA regulations within one y…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-s-2121: SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-3903: Railway Safety Act of 2026
- 119-s-5154: CHAT Act 2.0

## Sources
- [119-s-4027 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4027)

## Related
- [119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1541)
- [119-s-2121: SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2121)
- [119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4952)
- [119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4378)
- [119-s-3903: Railway Safety Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3903)
- [119-s-5154: CHAT Act 2.0](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5154)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4027 (as of 2026-05-02).