Title: Improving Health Insurance Affordability Act of 2019
Policy area: Taxation

Summary:
Improving Health Insurance Affordability Act of 2019
This bill expands taxpayer eligibility for the refundable tax credit for the cost of health care insurance and increases the size of the tax credit for all income brackets.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 961 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 961

 To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand eligibility for 
   the refundable credit for coverage under a qualified health plan.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 1, 2019

   Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Tester, Mr. King, and Ms. Harris) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                          Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand eligibility for 
   the refundable credit for coverage under a qualified health plan.

    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 ``Improving Health Insurance 
Affordability Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN ELIGIBILITY FOR CREDIT.

    (a) In General.--Subparagraph (A) of section 36B(c)(1) of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking ``400 percent'' 
and inserting ``800 percent''.
    (b) Applicable Percentages.--
            (1) In general.--Subparagraph (A) of section 36B(b)(3) of 
        the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as follows the table headings 
        is amended to read as follows:
                    ``(A) Applicable percentage.--The applicable 
                percentage for any taxable year shall be the percentage 
                such that the applicable percentage for any taxpayer 
                whose household income is within an income tier 
                specified in the following table shall increase, on a 
                sliding scale in a linear manner, from the initial 
                premium percentage to the final premium percentage 
                specified in such table for such income tier:


------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                The initial   The final
 ``In the case of household income  (expressed    premium      premium
   as a percent of poverty line)  within the     percentage   percentage
            following income tier:                  is--         is--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to 133 percent.............................         1.75          2.0
133 percent up to 150 percent.................          2.0          3.5
150 percent up to 200 percent.................          3.5          5.5
200 percent up to 250 percent.................          5.5         7.25
250 percent up to 300 percent.................         7.25          8.5
300 percent up to 400 percent.................          8.5          9.0
400 percent up to 550 percent.................          9.0         10.0
550 percent up to 700 percent.................         10.0         11.0
700 percent up to 800 percent.................         11.0     12.5.''.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

            (2) Conforming amendments relating to affordability of 
        coverage.--
                    (A) Subparagraph (C) of section 36B(c)(2) of such 
                Code is amended by striking clause (iv).
                    (B) Paragraph (4) of section 36B(c) of such Code is 
                amended by striking subparagraph (F).
    (c) Limitation on Recapture.--Clause (i) of section 36B(f)(2)(B) of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended--
            (1) by striking ``400 percent'' and inserting ``800 
        percent'';
            (2) by striking the period at the end of the last row of 
        the table; and
            (3) by adding at the end of the table the following new 
        rows:


 
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
``At least 400 percent but less than 600 percent...........       $3,500
 At least 600 percent but less than 800 percent............   $4,500.''.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2019.
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