Title: Basic Health Program Expansion Act of 2018
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Basic Health Program Expansion Act of 2018
This bill expands eligibility for basic health programs that are established by states (i.e., programs for low-income individuals who do not qualify for Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or other minimum essential coverage).

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3485 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3485

   To allow States to expand basic health programs to cover more low-
                   income individuals at lower cost.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 24, 2018

   Ms. Cantwell (for herself, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Gillibrand, and Ms. 
   Stabenow) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To allow States to expand basic health programs to cover more low-
                   income individuals at lower cost.

    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 ``Basic Health Program Expansion Act 
of 2018''.

SEC. 2. OPTIONAL EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR BASIC HEALTH PROGRAMS.

    Section 1331(e)(1)(B) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
Act (42 U.S.C. 18051(e)(1)) is amended to read as follows:
                    ``(B)(i) whose household income exceeds 133 percent 
                but does not exceed 200 percent of the poverty line for 
                the size of the family involved, or, at the option of 
                the State, whose household income exceeds 133 percent 
                for the size of the family involved but does not exceed 
                the income eligibility level for a targeted low-income 
                child established under the State child health plan 
                under title XXI of the Social Security Act; or
                    ``(ii) in the case of an alien lawfully present in 
                the United States, whose income is not greater than 133 
                percent of the poverty line for the size of the family 
                involved but who is not eligible for the Medicaid 
                program under title XIX of the Social Security Act by 
                reason of such alien status;''.

SEC. 3. START-UP FUNDING FLEXIBILITY FOR NEW BASIC HEALTH PROGRAMS.

    Section 1331(d)(2) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
Act (42 U.S.C. 18051(d)(2)) is amended by inserting ``, or, with 
respect to the basic health program of a State, for the 1-year period 
beginning on the date on which the Secretary certifies such program, to 
cover State costs associated with developing and implementing such 
program'' before the period of the first sentence.
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