Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act
Official title: A bill to repeal the changes made by the health subtitle of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and for other purposes.
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S4908)
Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act
This bill makes permanent temporary provisions that generally expand eligibility for and increase the amount of the premium tax credit. This bill also repeals multiple Medicaid, Medicare, and health-related tax provisions enacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
Currently, eligible taxpayers may claim the premium tax credit, which applies toward the cost of obtaining health insurance through health insurance exchanges. To qualify, a taxpayer’s household income must meet or exceed 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and, after 2025, may not exceed 400% of the FPL (maximum income limit). For 2021-2025, the maximum income limit is eliminated, which generally expands eligibility for the premium tax credit.
Further, under current law, the amount of the premium tax credit is partially based on the taxpayer’s household income multiplied by the applicable percentage. The applicable percentage varies depending on which of six income ranges (adjusted for inflation after 2025) the taxpayer’s household income falls within. For 2021-2025, the applicable percentages are lowered and the adjustment of the applicable percentages for inflation is eliminated, which generally increases the amount of the premium tax credit.
The bill permanently eliminates the 400% maximum income limit, lowers the applicable percentages, and eliminates the inflation adjustment for the applicable percentages.
Finally, the bill repeals multiple Medicaid, Medicare, and health-related tax provisions enacted by the OBBBA, including
- certain Medicare and Medicare eligibility and verification requirements,
- the reduced window for retroactive Medicaid coverage, and
- premium tax credit verification requirements.
- Introduced in Senate Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
- MASON CONSULTING, LLC
- MASON CONSULTING, LLC
- SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER, INC.
- NATIONAL WOMEN'S LAW CENTER ACTION FUND
- AMERICA'S HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS, INC. (AHIP)
- ECONOMIC SECURITY PROJECT ACTION, INC. AND ITS AFFILIATES
Bodies those filers lobbied
- HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
- SENATE
- Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS)
- Labor, Dept of (DOL)
- Natl Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Education, Dept of
- Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 2556: Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-2556/
"S. 2556: Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-2556/.
S. 2556, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-2556/.
[S. 2556: Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-2556/)