2026 State Healthcare Policy Review

In 2026, states continued to expand oversight of private equity in healthcare. Six states enacted nine laws covered in this report, while California and Oregon began implementing major measures passed in 2025.

Lawmakers increasingly focused on how investors exercise control, rather than only on who directly owns a licensed healthcare provider. New policies addressed influence exerted through management services organizations, upstream entities, debt, real estate, joint ventures, and other financial arrangements. Still, many of the strongest proposals were narrowed or did not advance.

This page provides a snapshot of the current legislative landscape. The interactive tracker below includes bills introduced or enacted across the country, while the linked report examines major policy developments from the 2026 legislative cycle.

The accompanying report provides deeper analysis of enacted laws, pending legislation, and proposals that failed to advance. It also considers whether new policies give regulators enough information and authority to respond to private equity control exercised through increasingly complex healthcare transactions.

Key policy approaches

State policies addressing private equity and other investor involvement in healthcare fall into four broad categories:

• Transparency and reporting — Require disclosure of ownership, financing, and control relationships, as well as advance notice before certain transactions close.
• Approval and enforcement authority — Allow regulators to approve, impose conditions on, or block transactions that may affect healthcare costs, access, quality, equity, or the workforce.
• Targeted prohibitions — Restrict specific ownership structures or financial practices, including hospital sale-leasebacks.
• Corporate practice of medicine enforcement — Protect clinical independence by limiting investor control exercised through management services organizations and other contractual arrangements.

Together, these policies show that states are beginning to account for the many ways private equity firms can influence healthcare providers. Their impact will depend on how the new laws are implemented and enforced.

Explore the tracker

Use the tool below to explore state legislative activity. You can filter by bill status and search by state, policy category, or covered healthcare entity.

2026 Legislation by Status

2025-26 Transaction Review Legislation

For additional context and analysis, download the complete 2026 State Healthcare Policy Review.

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