Insurers can no longer drop your doctor or medication mid-year without letting you switch plans
S. 4924 — Preserving Patient Access Act · Filed by Jacky Rosen (D-NV) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Jun 24, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill prevents Medicare Advantage and individual health insurance plans from suddenly dropping doctors or medications mid-year without giving patients a way out. If a patient has seen a doctor in the past 2 years and that doctor was in-network when they enrolled, the plan cannot drop that doctor without triggering a special enrollment period allowing the patient to switch plans. Similarly, if a plan removes a medication the patient is currently taking from its formulary, the patient gets a special enrollment window to find different coverage.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to restrict insurers' ability to make adverse mid-year changes to networks and formularies without patient recourse. It is fundamentally a consumer protection measure that constrains insurer discretion and expands patient choice.
What the text implies
- Plans may respond by narrowing networks or formularies at the annual enrollment period (before the 2-year lookback applies), shifting adverse changes to times when patients have less recourse.
- The 2-year in-person/telehealth visit requirement may disadvantage patients with chronic conditions managed primarily via mail or phone, or those with infrequent care needs.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
patients with chronic conditions requiring stable medication access; patients with established provider relationships; healthcare providers (reduced mid-year patient loss)