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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4230 Introduced in House (IH)]

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 Government-administered 
health care benefits so long as comprehensive health reform legislation 
                          has not become law.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Health Care Reality Check Act''.

SEC. 2. LIMITING ACCESS OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO GOVERNMENT-
              ADMINISTERED HEALTH CARE BENEFITS SO LONG AS 
              COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH REFORM LEGISLATION HAS NOT BECOME 
              LAW.

    (a) In General.--Effective for months beginning after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, no Member of or delegate to the United 
States House of Representatives and no Member of the United States 
Senate shall be eligible for any Government-administered health care 
benefit until the first day of the first month following the date on 
which comprehensive health reform legislation is signed into law.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Government-administered health care benefit.--The term 
        ``Government-administered health care benefit'' includes health 
        care benefits or services under or through any of the 
        following:
                    (A) FEHBP.--Chapter 89 of title 5, United States 
                Code (relating to the Federal Employees Health Benefits 
                Program or FEHBP).
                    (B) Medicare.--The Medicare program under title 
                XVIII of the Social Security Act.
                    (C) VA.--The Department of Veterans Affairs.
                    (D) OAP.--The Office of the Attending Physician in 
                the United States Capitol.
                    (E) FSA.--Payment through a flexible spending 
                account program.
            (2) Comprehensive health reform legislation.--The term 
        ``comprehensive health reform legislation'' means an Act of 
        Congress that includes at least all of the following:
                    (A) Establishment of an inclusive and accessible 
                health insurance marketplace which includes a public 
                health insurance option.
                    (B) A prohibition of discrimination in health 
                benefits coverage based on pre-existing conditions and 
                a prohibition on the imposition of lifetime limits on 
                coverage.
                    (C) A limit on the ability of health insurance 
                issuers to charge higher premiums due to health status, 
                age, or gender.
                    (D) A requirement that health insurance issuers 
                expend a minimum medical loss ratio of at least 85 
                percent of premium dollars on medical care, rather than 
                on administration, marketing, and profit, and refund to 
                consumers or subsequently adjust premiums insofar as it 
                fails to meet such loss ratio.
                    (E) Establishment of an essential health benefits 
                requirement for all health insurance coverage that 
                includes coverage of hospitalization, physician 
                services, prescription drugs, preventive services with 
                no cost-sharing, mental health services, and oral 
                health and vision for children.
                    (F) Preserving individual choice of doctors and 
                health providers.
                    (G) Providing a sliding scale of affordability 
                credit to low- and moderate- income individuals and 
                families and limiting annual out-of-pocket spending for 
                all income levels to prevent bankruptcies from medical 
                expenses.
                    (H) Creating shared responsibility among 
                individuals, employers, and government to ensure that 
                all Americans have affordable coverage of essential 
                health benefits.
                                 <all>
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