Title: ACA OUTREACH Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Affordable Care Act Outreach for the Uninsured, Transformative Recruitment, and Enrollment Action for Compassionate Healthcare Act of 2018 or the ACA OUTREACH Act
This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide funds through FY2021 for the Department of Health and Human Services to support (1) navigator programs, which conduct public education activities about qualified health plans and facilitate enrollment; and (2) outreach and promotional activities for health insurance exchanges.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4784 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4784

  To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide 
 funding for American Health Benefit Exchanges navigator programs and 
                  outreach and promotional activities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 11, 2018

Ms. Maxine Waters of California (for herself, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Pocan, 
  Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. Norton, Mr. Raskin, Mr. 
Carson of Indiana, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Mr. 
   Garamendi, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mrs. Demings, Mr. 
  Hastings, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Serrano, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Ms. 
  Wilson of Florida, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Meeks, Mr. David 
Scott of Georgia, Mr. Ellison, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Ms. 
Lee, Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Clarke 
 of New York, Mr. Espaillat, Ms. Barragan, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Payne, Mr. 
 Lowenthal, and Mr. Gonzalez of Texas) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide 
 funding for American Health Benefit Exchanges navigator programs and 
                  outreach and promotional activities.

    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 ``Affordable Care Act Outreach for the 
Uninsured, Transformative Recruitment, and Enrollment Action for 
Compassionate Healthcare Act of 2018'' or the ``ACA OUTREACH Act''.

SEC. 2. FUNDING AMERICAN HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGES NAVIGATOR PROGRAMS 
              AND OUTREACH AND PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES.

    (a) Funding for Navigator Program.--Section 1311(i) of the Patient 
Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18031(i)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(7) Appropriations.--Out of any funds in the Treasury not 
        otherwise appropriated, there is appropriated to the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
        years 2018 through 2021 for navigator programs under this 
        subsection.''.
    (b) Federal Exchanges Outreach and Promotional Activities.--Section 
1321(c) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 
18041(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) Outreach and promotional activities.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In the case of an Exchange 
                established or operated by the Secretary pursuant to 
                this subsection, the Secretary may carry out outreach 
                and promotional activities as necessary and appropriate 
                for the successful operation of such Exchange, 
                including for purposes of informing potential enrollees 
                in qualified health plans offered through the Exchange 
                of the availability of coverage under such plans and 
                financial assistance for coverage under such plans.
                    ``(B) Diverse constituencies.--The Secretary shall 
                carry out any outreach and promotional activities under 
                this paragraph in a manner that reaches diverse 
                constituencies, including minority, rural, and 
                underserved communities; people with disabilities; 
                young adults; and individuals who are likely to be 
                uninsured.
                    ``(C) Funding.--Out of any funds in the Treasury 
                not otherwise appropriated, there is appropriated to 
                the Secretary of Health and Human Services $100,000,000 
                for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2021 to carry out 
                this paragraph.''.
    (c) State Grants for State-Run Exchanges Outreach and Promotional 
Activities.--Section 1311 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
Act (42 U.S.C. 18031) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(l) State-Run Exchanges Outreach and Promotional Activities.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a grant 
        program under which the Secretary awards grants to States that 
        are electing States under section 1321(b) that have established 
        Exchanges. Each such grant awarded to such a State that has 
        established an Exchange shall be used by such Exchange for 
        purposes of outreach and promotional activities as necessary 
        and appropriate for the successful operation of the Exchange, 
        including for purposes of informing potential enrollees in 
        qualified health plans offered through the Exchange of the 
        availability of coverage under such plans and financial 
        assistance for coverage under such plans.
            ``(2) Eligibility.--
                    ``(A) Application.--To be eligible for a grant 
                under paragraph (1), a State described in such 
                paragraph shall submit an application to the Secretary 
                at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
                information as specified by the Secretary. In 
                establishing the process for States to apply for such 
                grants, the Secretary shall ensure that applications 
                are processed in a timely manner.
                    ``(B) Diverse constituencies.--To be eligible for a 
                grant under paragraph (1), a State described in such 
                paragraph shall provide such assurances as are required 
                by the Secretary to ensure that the Exchange 
                established by such State carries out outreach and 
                promotional activities under such grant in a manner 
                that reaches diverse constituencies, including 
                minority, rural, and underserved communities; people 
                with disabilities; young adults; and individuals who 
                are likely to be uninsured.
            ``(3) Funding.--Out of any funds in the Treasury not 
        otherwise appropriated, there is appropriated to the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
        years 2018 through 2021 to carry out this subsection.''.
                                 <all>