**Introduced Legislation -- 110^th^ Congress, By Topic**

**HIPAA -- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act**

[H.R.1076](http://www.congress.gov/cgi-lis/bdquery/D?d110:7:./temp/~bdkIXW:dbs=n:)

[Title:]{.underline} HIPAA Recreational Injury Technical Correction Act\
[Introduced:]{.underline} 2/15/2007     \
[Committees:]{.underline} House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and
Means; House Education and Labor

[Summary:]{.underline} ** **This bill would close a HIPAA loophole that
allows health plans to deny payment for covered medical services based
solely on the source of injury.

HIPAA prohibited health plans from denying people health insurance
because the covered individual participates in a 'high-risk'
recreational activity such as motorcycle riding, horseback riding, or
snowmobiling. Health plans are allowed to charge these people higher
premiums if they see fit, but they can't deny health insurance. However
a loophole was created that allowed insurers to deny payment for
services based upon the source of the injury.

For example, if you fell down the stairs and broke your leg, your
insurance would pay for the treatment. But with the loophole, if you
were riding a motorcycle, fell off and broke your leg, your insurance
company could deny you treatment for the very same problem, just because
it occurred while motorcycle riding.

You shouldn't be discriminated against for participating in legal
activities, and you shouldn't be denied services that you have already
paid for. I want to make sure this loophole is closed.

**Quality Improvement**

[H.R.1046](http://www.congress.gov/cgi-lis/bdquery/D?d110:6:./temp/~bdkIXW:dbs=n:)

[Title:]{.underline} Medicare Quality Improvement Organization
Modernization Act of 2007\
[Introduced:]{.underline} 2/14/2007\
[Committees:]{.underline} House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and
Means

[Summary:]{.underline} This bill would improve and modernize Medicare
through contracts with Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs). QIOs
would compete for contracts to provide quality assistance to medical
providers. This quality assistance would include: (1) improving
patient/provider interaction by providing detailed feedback based on
beneficiary complaints; (2) guidance on Health Information Technology
(HIT); (3) assisting providers in the improvement of care in rural and
frontier areas; and (4) reducing racial, ethnic, and gender disparities.

**SCHIP**

[H.R. 1013]{.underline}

[Title:]{.underline} To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to
prohibit the approval or continuation of section 1115 waivers insofar as
they provide coverage of nonpregnant adults under the State Children\'s
Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

[Introduced:]{.underline} 2/13/2007      

[Committees:]{.underline} House Energy and Commerce

[Summary:]{.underline} This bill would ensure that every SCHIP dollar is
spent on needy children and pregnant women.

With the \"capped entitlement\" nature of SCHIP, where states receive a
capped annual allotment from the

federal government, states are required to prioritize coverage of the
neediest children that Medicaid does not cover. Unfortunately, some
states have extended coverage to non-pregnant adults under their SCHIP

program, taking limited dollars away from the needs of the children the
program was intended to meet. One

dollar a state spends on an non-pregnant adult is one dollar not spent
on a needy child. This inequitable

development needs to be stopped.

**Transparency**

[H.R.1666](http://www.congress.gov/cgi-lis/bdquery/D?d110:8:./temp/~bdkIXW:dbs=n:)

[Title:]{.underline} To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to
provide for increased price transparency of hospital information and to
provide for additional research on consumer information on charges and
out-of-pocket costs.\
[Introduced:]{.underline} 3/23/2007\
[Committees:]{.underline} House Energy and Commerce

[Summary:]{.underline} This bill calls upon the States to establish and
maintain laws requiring disclosure of information on hospital charges,
to make such information available to the public, and to provide
individuals with information about estimated out-of-pocket costs for
health care services.

This means that State law will require health insurance providers to
give patients an actual dollar estimate of what the patient must pay for
health care items and services within a specified period of time. 

Additionally, the bill calls for research on: (1) The types of cost
information that individuals find useful in making decisions regarding
healthcare; (2) How this useful information varies according to an
individual's health insurance coverage, and if so, by what type of
coverage they have; and (3) Ways that this information may be
distributed in a timely and simple manner.

**Trauma**

[H.R. 727]{.underline}

[Title:]{.underline} Trauma Care Systems Planning and Development Act of
2007\
[Introduced:]{.underline} 1/30/2007 in cooperation with Congressman Gene
Green\
[Committees:]{.underline} House Energy and Commerce\
\*\* H.R. 727 has passed both the House and Senate and is scheduled to
be signed by President Bush.

[Summary]{.underline}: This bill seeks to improve trauma and emergency
medical care coordination, so that we can utilize existing resources to
provide care more efficiently.

Specifically, the bill provides federal matching grants to states to
improve access to and enhance the development of trauma care systems. It
also allows grants for demonstration projects to improve emergency
medical services in rural areas by increasing communication and
coordination with state trauma systems.

**Related Links:**

[THOMAS -- Legislative information from the Library of
Congress](http://thomas.loc.gov/)