I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3185
To provide increased access to health care benefits, to provide increased
portability of health care benefits, to provide increased security of health
care benefits, to increase the purchasing power of individuals and small
employers, to increase the deduction for health insurance costs of self-
employed individuals, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 28, 1996
Mr. DINGELL (for himself, Mr. BENTSEN, and Mr. SPRATT) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means,
and in addition to the Committees on Commerce, and Economic and Edu-
cational Opportunities, 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 provide increased access to health care benefits, to provide
increased portability of health care benefits, to provide
increased security of health care benefits, to increase
the purchasing power of individuals and small employers,
to increase the deduction for health insurance costs of
self-employed individuals, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
HR 3185 IH
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Health Insurance Re-
form Act of 1996’’.
TITLE I—HEALTH CARE ACCESS,
PORTABILITY, AND RENEWABILITY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sec. 100. Definitions.
SUBTITLE A—GROUP MARKET RULES
Sec. 101. Guaranteed availability of health coverage.
Sec. 102. Guaranteed renewability of health coverage.
Sec. 103. Portability of health coverage and limitation on preexisting condition
exclusions.
Sec. 104. Special enrollment periods.
Sec. 105. Disclosure of information.
SUBTITLE B—INDIVIDUAL MARKET RULES
Sec. 110. Individual health plan portability.
Sec. 111. Guaranteed renewability of individual health coverage.
Sec. 112. State flexibility in individual market reforms.
Sec. 113. Definition.
SUBTITLE C—COBRA CLARIFICATIONS
Sec. 121. Cobra clarification.
SUBTITLE D—PRIVATE HEALTH PLAN PURCHASING COOPERATIVES
Sec. 131. Private health plan purchasing cooperatives.
SUBTITLE E—APPLICATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF STANDARDS
Sec. 141. Applicability.
Sec. 142. Enforcement of standards.
SUBTITLE F—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Sec. 191. Health coverage availability study.
Sec. 192. Effective date.
Sec. 193. Severability.
SEC. 100. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this title:
(1) BENEFICIARY.—The term ‘‘beneficiary’’ has
the meaning given such term under section 3(8) of
HR 3185 IH
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974 (29 U.S.C. 1002(8)).
(2) EMPLOYEE.—The term ‘‘employee’’ has the
meaning given such term under section 3(6) of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
(29 U.S.C. 1002(6)).
(3) EMPLOYER.—The term ‘‘employer’’ has the
meaning given such term under section 3(5) of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
(29 U.S.C. 1002(5)), except that such term shall in-
clude only employers of two or more employees.
(4) EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘employee
health benefit plan’’ means any employee wel-
fare benefit plan, governmental plan, or church
plan (as defined under paragraphs (1), (32),
and (33) of section 3 of the Employee Retire-
ment Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C.
1002 (1), (32), and (33))) that provides or pays
for health benefits (such as provider and hos-
pital benefits) for participants and beneficiaries
whether—
(i) directly;
HR 3185 IH
(ii) through a group health plan of-
fered by a health plan issuer as defined in
paragraph (8); or
(iii) otherwise.
(B) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—An em-
ployee health benefit plan shall not be con-
strued to be a group health plan, an individual
health plan, or a health plan issuer.
(C) ARRANGEMENTS
NOT
INCLUDED.—
Such term does not include the following, or
any combination thereof:
(i) Coverage only for accident, or dis-
ability income insurance, or any combina-
tion thereof.
(ii) Medicare supplemental health in-
surance 
(as 
defined 
under 
section
1882(g)(1) of the Social Security Act).
(iii) Coverage issued as a supplement
to liability insurance.
(iv) Liability insurance, including gen-
eral liability insurance and automobile li-
ability insurance.
(v) Workers compensation or similar
insurance.