Congress quietly expands short-term health plans that dodge ACA protections
H.R. 6420 — ACCESS Act · Filed by Max Miller (R-OH) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Dec 4, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends federal health insurance law to formally define and regulate 'short-term limited duration insurance' (STLDI)—temporary health plans lasting up to 3 years that are designed to fill gaps when people switch jobs or coverage. The bill requires these plans to offer guaranteed renewability (the right to renew) and applies certain consumer protections from the Affordable Care Act to them. The stated intent is to give small businesses and individuals more affordable, flexible coverage options.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative effect is to create a formal regulatory pathway for short-term plans that have historically operated outside ACA consumer protections. While framed as 'access' and 'affordability,' the mechanism is definitional—establishing STLDI as a distinct category and then applying only limited ACA rules (guaranteed renewability) while leaving out critical protections like benefit mandates and pre-existing condition exclusion bans.
What the text implies
- STLDI plans are not required to cover preventive services, mental health parity, or contraception—core ACA mandates. Consumers may believe they have ACA-level protection when they do not.
- The bill does not prohibit medical underwriting or pre-existing condition exclusions in STLDI plans, meaning insurers can deny or price-load high-risk individuals, contrary to ACA protections.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
health insurance issuers (especially those specializing in short-term/limited-benefit plans); small businesses seeking to reduce health benefit costs; insurance brokers and agents selling STLDI products