HR 8442

This bill, the Patient Refunds for Bad Denials Act of 2026, aims to hold health insurance companies accountable for excessive claims denials. It establishes a system where the Secretary of Health and Human Services can impose civil penalties on insurers whose claims denial rates exceed 25% during a plan year. Additionally, the bill requires insurers to provide clear explanations to patients when claims are denied due to lack of medical necessity and mandates that insurers report their overall claims denial rates to the Secretary. Funds collected from these penalties will be distributed to individuals affected by high denial rates.