Public Announcements

Press Release: Congress Passes Spending Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 4, 2026

PRESS CONTACT: Kelly Loussedes [email protected]

Congress Approves Spending Package Advancing Longstanding NABIP Healthcare Priorities

WASHINGTON, D.C. —The National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP) today applauded Congress for approving a government spending package that includes several critical healthcare provisions NABIP has championed for years to increase transparency, accountability, and affordability across the healthcare system.

The package advances policies designed to confront rising healthcare costs, bolster consumer protections, and improve the accuracy and integrity of health coverage information. These priorities are central to NABIP’s Healthcare Bill of Rights and long-standing advocacy agenda.

The legislation includes measures to increase pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) transparency and require prescription drug rebates and related payments to be passed through to health plans, helping curb practices that drive up drug costs and mask the true cost of coverage for employers and consumers. It also strengthens Medicare site-neutral payment policies to address excessive costs, improves oversight of Medicare Advantage provider directories to protect beneficiaries from unexpected cost sharing and care disruptions, and reinforces implementation of the No Surprises Act to shield consumers from surprise medical bills.

“The inclusion of PBM transparency and site-neutral payment reforms in this package is a major policy win with implications across every segment of the healthcare market,” said Jessica Brooks Woods, CEO of NABIP. “These long-overdue reforms address systemic practices that inflate costs, distort pricing, and ultimately harm consumers and employers. NABIP has been calling for action on these issues for years, and we are encouraged to see Congress take meaningful steps to confront them.”

NABIP has long emphasized that reforms like these are essential to protecting consumers from unexpected costs and disruptions in care, while also giving employers greater clarity into healthcare spending. Just as importantly, these policies support the ability of licensed agents and brokers to provide accurate, trustworthy guidance and help individuals, seniors, and employers make informed coverage decisions.

“NABIP will continue pressing policymakers to ensure these reforms are implemented as intended and to build on this momentum with additional solutions that promote transparency, affordability, and access to care across all markets,” Brooks Woods added.

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NABIP is the preeminent organization for health insurance and employee benefits professionals, working diligently to ensure all Americans have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare and related benefits. NABIP represents more than 100,000 licensed health insurance agents, brokers, general agents, consultants and benefit professionals through more than 150 chapters.