POP Act

The POP Act (HR 5433) prohibits any entity from owning both a Medicare-focused health insurance company and certain healthcare providers (like clinics or outpatient facilities, excluding hospitals, pharmacies, and durable medical equipment suppliers). It requires violators to divest one business within 1-2 years of the law's enactment or acquisition. The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general can enforce this through civil actions, including ordering divestment and recovering revenue from violations. The law also updates Medicare rules to ban such ownership for Medicare Advantage plans starting in 2026, treating violations as false claims. This directly affects health insurers and provider networks operating under Medicare.