Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Hoyle, Val T. [D-OR-4]
Introduced
Summary
Stops corporate control of physician practices. This bill would ban non‑licensee ownership and curb management firms that interfere with clinicians, aiming to keep medical decisions with licensed providers.
Show full summary
- Licensees and patients: Would block most non‑compete, non‑disclosure, and non‑disparagement terms for clinicians and allow a narrow non‑compete only if the clinician owns at least 25 percent. It would require practice owners to be licensed, physically present in the State where care is delivered, and substantially engaged in providing medical care, and it bars employer interference in clinical decisions like time with patients, admission status, referrals, coding, and scope of orders.
- MSOs and corporate owners: Would bar entities that are not majority‑owned and controlled by licensees from owning or controlling medical practices, employing licensees, or exercising de facto control. Management services organizations would be forbidden from controlling hiring, staffing, revenue distribution, billing or pricing, serving as directors, acquiring ownership, or advertising professional services under a non‑practice name, and MSO contracts must be arm's‑length and paid at fair market value as set by the Federal Trade Commission.
- Enforcement and remedies: Would let the Federal Trade Commission use its unfair or deceptive acts or practices authority to enforce the rules, add an enforcement cross‑reference in the Social Security Act for MSO violations, and preserve private suits and state attorney general actions that can seek treble damages, attorney fees, divestiture, and disgorgement. The requirements would take effect one year after enactment.
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Ban most clinician non‑competes
If enacted, the bill would make non‑compete clauses and most non‑disclosure or non‑disparagement agreements between clinicians and practices unlawful and void. A non‑compete would be valid only if the clinician owns at least 25 percent of the practice. The ban would not eliminate other legal claims like libel, slander, or tortious interference.
Stronger enforcement and lawsuits
The bill would let the Federal Trade Commission treat violations as unfair or deceptive acts, make rules, and use its enforcement powers, including against some nonprofits. It would let people harmed sue for treble damages, attorney fees, and other relief, and it would let State attorneys general sue on behalf of residents. Courts could order cease‑and‑desist relief, divestiture of violators' interests, and disgorgement of revenue. The bill would also add MSO violations as a basis for penalties and exclusion under the Social Security Act.
No corporate ownership of practices
This bill would make it unlawful for companies that are not majority‑owned and controlled by licensed clinicians to own or control medical practices. It would define key terms like "medical practice," "licensee," and "management services organization," and it would stop MSOs from exerting de facto control over hiring, schedules, coding, pricing, billing, or clinical decisions. The bill would require clinician owners to be licensed, physically present in the State where care is given, and substantially engaged in providing medical care. Some hospitals and certain nonprofit or public health care providers would be exceptions.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Hoyle, Val T. [D-OR-4]
OR • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]
OR • D
Sponsored 9/16/2026
Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10]
FL • D
Sponsored 9/16/2026
Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9]
NY • D
Sponsored 9/16/2026
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 9/16/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 9/16/2026
Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3]
AZ • D
Sponsored 9/16/2026
Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10]
VA • D
Sponsored 9/16/2026
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]
NY • D
Sponsored 9/16/2026
Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]
PA • D
Sponsored 9/16/2026
Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3]
OR • D
Sponsored 9/16/2026
Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]
NY • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1]
OR • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
VT • D
Sponsored 10/1/2026
Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]
IL • D
Sponsored 10/1/2026
Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7]
AZ • D
Sponsored 10/1/2026
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
WI • D
Sponsored 10/9/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov