To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to provide for 3 primary care visits and 3 behavioral health care visits without application of any cost-sharing requirement.
Introduced June 11, 2026 · Last action June 11, 2026
Plain English Summary
This bill requires all group health plans and individual health insurance policies to cover 3 primary care visits and 3 behavioral health visits per year with no cost-sharing (no copays, coinsurance, or deductibles). Currently, insurers can impose copays or deductibles on these visits; this bill eliminates those out-of-pocket costs for these specific services.
Who benefits
Individuals and families with group health insurance coverage or individual health insurance policies who currently pay copays or meet deductibles for primary care and behavioral health visits; employees covered under employer-sponsored plans; uninsured individuals who obtain individual market coverage; primary care physicians and behavioral health providers who may see increased patient volumes and reduced bad debt from unpaid copays; mental health and substance abuse treatment providers.
Who pays / loses
Health insurance companies and HMOs offering group and individual plans who lose copay and deductible revenue from these 6 visits annually; employers offering group health plans who may face higher insurance premium costs; individuals in high-deductible health plans whose overall deductible costs may increase to offset free visits; pharmaceutical companies to the extent visit increases lead to less medication-reliant treatment models.
Funding & Lobbying Interests
Primary care physician associations, behavioral health and mental health advocacy organizations, psychiatry and psychology professional societies, and employee benefit counselors have financial and professional interest in this legislation. Mental health parity advocates and substance abuse treatment providers support removal of cost barriers. Health insurance issuers (UnitedHealth Group, Anthem, Aetna, Cigna, Humana) and employer coalition groups (NRTW, SHRM) typically oppose mandates that increase premium costs. No sponsor finance data was provided.
Political Impact
Affected Groups
Approximately 160+ million Americans with employer-sponsored group health coverage and 10+ million with individual market insurance. Highest impact on: individuals with behavioral health conditions or chronic diseases requiring frequent primary care (estimated 40% of insured population); lower-income workers whose plans have higher copays and deductibles; rural patients who face travel costs and rely on cost barriers to discourage visits; individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders who avoid care due to out-of-pocket costs.
Political Subtext
Proponents argue this removes financial barriers to preventive care and mental health treatment, reducing emergency department use and improving health outcomes. They cite that primary care and behavioral health visits prevent costly acute episodes. Critics argue the mandate increases insurance premium costs for all enrollees, shifts costs to those not using the services, and interferes with market competition and plan design. Insurance industry argues mandates drive premium increases without corresponding productivity gains. Non-partisan evidence shows copay elimination increases visit utilization 10-30% depending on baseline copay level, per RAND studies; however, the actual cost impact of 6 mandated visits depends on baseline plan design and utilization rates, which vary widely.
Real-World Stakes
If enacted, individuals will no longer face out-of-pocket costs for 3 primary and 3 behavioral health visits per year. Insurance premiums will likely increase to cover the cost of providing these visits at zero cost-sharing. States that have enacted similar primary care visit mandates (e.g., Illinois mental health parity laws) have seen modest premium increases (1-3%) while primary care visit volume increased 15-25%. Behavioral health visit mandates have shown measurable reductions in untreated depression and anxiety disorders in studies of Massachusetts and New York parity laws. However, the national impact is uncertain because group and individual markets vary in baseline copay levels, deductible structures, and baseline mental health visit rates across regions and insurer types.
Sponsor
Sponsor information not available.
Vote Record
No recorded votes.
Campaign Finance — Primary Sponsor
No campaign finance data available yet.
501(c)(4) disclosure: Contributions from 501(c)(4) "dark money" organizations are not required to be publicly disclosed and are not reflected in the figures above. Data sourced from FEC public disclosure filings.
Community Discussion
Share this bill
Sign in to join the discussion.
No comments yet. Be the first.