I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4230 

To limit access of Members of Congress to Government-administered health 

care benefits so long as comprehensive health reform legislation has 

not become law. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 8, 2009 

Mr. BLUMENAUER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees 

on Oversight and Government Reform, Ways and Means, Energy and 

Commerce, and Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To limit access of Members of Congress to Governmentadministered health care benefits so long as comprehensive health reform legislation has not become law. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Health Care Reality 

5 Check Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. LIMITING ACCESS OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO 

2 GOVERNMENT-ADMINISTERED HEALTH CARE 

3 BENEFITS SO LONG AS COMPREHENSIVE 

4 HEALTH REFORM LEGISLATION HAS NOT BE5 COME LAW. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Effective for months beginning 

7 after the date of the enactment of this Act, no Member 

8 of or delegate to the United States House of Representa9 tives and no Member of the United States Senate shall 

10 be eligible for any Government-administered health care 

11 benefit until the first day of the first month following the 

12 date on which comprehensive health reform legislation is 

13 signed into law. 

14 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

15 (1) GOVERNMENT-ADMINISTERED HEALTH

16 CARE BENEFIT.—The term ‘‘Government-adminis17 tered health care benefit’’ includes health care bene18 fits or services under or through any of the fol19 lowing: 

20 (A) FEHBP.—Chapter 89 of title 5, 

21 United States Code (relating to the Federal 

22 Employees Health Benefits Program or 

23 FEHBP). 

24 (B) MEDICARE.—The Medicare program 

25 under title XVIII of the Social Security Act. 


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1 (C) VA.—The Department of Veterans Af2 fairs. 

3 (D) OAP.—The Office of the Attending 

4 Physician in the United States Capitol. 

5 (E) FSA.—Payment through a flexible 

6 spending account program. 

7 (2) COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH REFORM LEGIS8 LATION.—The term ‘‘comprehensive health reform 

9 legislation’’ means an Act of Congress that includes 

10 at least all of the following: 

11 (A) Establishment of an inclusive and ac12 cessible health insurance marketplace which in13 cludes a public health insurance option. 

14 (B) A prohibition of discrimination in 

15 health benefits coverage based on pre-existing 

16 conditions and a prohibition on the imposition 

17 of lifetime limits on coverage. 

18 (C) A limit on the ability of health insur19 ance issuers to charge higher premiums due to 

20 health status, age, or gender. 

21 (D) A requirement that health insurance 

22 issuers expend a minimum medical loss ratio of 

23 at least 85 percent of premium dollars on med24 ical care, rather than on administration, mar25 keting, and profit, and refund to consumers or 


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1 subsequently adjust premiums insofar as it fails 

2 to meet such loss ratio. 

3 (E) Establishment of an essential health 

4 benefits requirement for all health insurance 

5 coverage that includes coverage of hospitaliza6 tion, physician services, prescription drugs, pre7 ventive services with no cost-sharing, mental 

8 health services, and oral health and vision for 

9 children. 

10 (F) Preserving individual choice of doctors 

11 and health providers. 

12 (G) Providing a sliding scale of afford13 ability credit to low- and moderate- income indi14 viduals and families and limiting annual out-of15 pocket spending for all income levels to prevent 

16 bankruptcies from medical expenses. 

17 (H) Creating shared responsibility among 

18 individuals, employers, and government to en19 sure that all Americans have affordable cov20 erage of essential health benefits. 

Æ 


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