{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-rosen-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-patients-access-to-preferred-doctor-lower-drug-costs", "Curtis, Rosen Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Patients\u2019 Access to Preferred Doctor, Lower Drug Costs", "2026-06-29", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John R. Curtis", "C001114", "www.curtis.senate.gov", "curtis", "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the Protecting Patient Access Act, bipartisan legislation to protect patients\u2019 access to their preferred doctors and lower out-of-pocket drug costs. The bill would allow patients to change insurance plans mid-year if their doctor or other medical provider is no longer in-network, or if their out-of-pocket drug cost increases during the year. This would apply to Medicare prescription drug plans, Medicare Advantage, and individual market plans for patients of all ages.\n\n\u201cWhen a Part D plan makes significant changes between enrollment periods, seniors shouldn\u2019t be forced to live with a plan they didn\u2019t choose for the rest of the year,\u201d said Senator Curtis. \u201cBy opening enrollment following a significant plan change, our commonsense, bipartisan legislation ensures American seniors are insulated from uncertainty and receive the care they need and have paid for.\u201d\n\n\u201cUnder the current system, Nevadans can be caught off-guard by mid-year increases to prescription drug prices and changes to their in-network doctors. It\u2019s just common sense to allow patients to change their medical insurance to continue seeing the doctors they trust and protect them from getting priced out from the life-saving medicine they need,\u201d said Senator Rosen. \u201cIt is crucial that Nevadans have access to the best and most affordable health care options available, which is why I am proud to introduce this bipartisan bill. I promise to continue working across the aisle to ensure that everyone has access to the life-saving care that they need.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe American Academy of Family Physicians strongly supports the Preserving Patient Access Act, which will help patients prioritize their health and ensure relationships are maintained with trusted physicians and that access to necessary medications go uninterrupted,\u201d said Sarah C. Nosal, MD, FAAFP, President of the American Academy of Family Physicians. \u201cThis legislation will allow patients relying on Medicare to change plans when a physician moves out of network or when drug coverage changes and becomes unaffordable. It will also protect continuity of care, strengthen the patient-physician relationship and help Medicare patients stay on track with the care and treatments needed to be well and stay healthy.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Protecting Patient Access Act would help ensure patients are not locked into health plans that no longer meet their health care needs after enrollment. The legislation creates a special enrollment period for Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and individual market enrollees when their plan makes significant mid-year changes\u2014such as removing a trusted doctor from its network or dropping coverage for a prescription drug they rely on. By allowing beneficiaries to switch to a plan that better meets their needs, the bill protects continuity of care and helps patients maintain access to the providers and medications they depend on.", 1, "2026-06-30T06:29:10Z", "2026-06-30T06:30:42Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-rosen-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-patients-access-to-preferred-doctor-lower-drug-costs"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9058150462806225, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}