Mentioned 10× · first seen 03-jul-2026 · last seen 01-aug-2026

Health Data Access, Transparency, and Affordability

Current understanding

The Health Data Access, Transparency, and Affordability Act of 2026 (HR9228) aims to expand patient and consumer access to health data and increase transparency around health care and drug pricing. It was ordered to be reported as amended by the House committee on a narrow 18-15 vote, advancing but not yet passing the chamber. Specific data-rights provisions for individuals and compliance obligations for covered health entities remain to be characterized as text is analyzed.

Evidence log

2026-08-04 — Health Information Privacy Reform Act: cross-connection with health-information-privacy-reform-act: Companion federal health-data legislative efforts touching on privacy and access rules for patient information. (novelty: 2)
2026-06-11 — Web of Biological Data Act of 2026: The Web of Biological Data Act of 2026 (S4770) was introduced on a separate Senate Energy and Natural Resources track addressing biological-data infrastructure rather than patient health-data access, indicating biological and health data policy are advancing on parallel but non-overlapping legislative vehicles. (novelty: 3)
2026-03-12 — AI-Ready Bio-Data Standards Act: A Senate track (S4069, AI-Ready Bio-Data Standards Act) proposes interoperability standards for biological data aimed at AI use, complementing health data access/transparency efforts by focusing on machine-readability rather than patient access rights; referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (novelty: 3)
2025-11-18 — Patient Device Data Access Act of 2025: cross-connection with patient-device-data-access-act-2025: Both address patient/consumer access to health-sector data; the Patient Device Data Access Act is a device-specific slice of the broader health data access agenda. (novelty: 2)
2026-06-25 — Health DATA Act of 2026: A separate 2026 House bill, the Health DATA Act (HR9486), was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, proposing additional health data access or transparency requirements on a distinct legislative track from HR9228. (novelty: 2)
2026-06-25 — Health and Location Data Protection Act of 2026: A distinct 2026 House bill, the Health and Location Data Protection Act (HR9482), was introduced and referred to House Energy and Commerce, addressing privacy protections for health (and location) data — a complementary but separate track from HR9228’s access-and-transparency focus. (novelty: 3)