American Health Benefits Program Act of 2004

Bill: 108-hr-4964
Sponsor: Rep. Langevin, James R. [D-RI-2]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative fees
Advice and consent of the Senate
Age
Armed Forces and National Security
Capitation (Medical care)
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Coinsurance
Commerce
Comprehensive health care
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer education
Consumer protection
Cost effectiveness
Discrimination in insurance
Discrimination in medical care
Economics and Public Finance
Excise tax
Executive reorganization
Families
Federal aid to child health services
Federal employees
Finance and Financial Sector
Gifts
Government Operations and Politics
Government employees' health insurance
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Government trust funds
Health insurance
Health maintenance organizations
Income tax
Indian medical care
Insurance premiums
Labor and Employment
Law
Managed care
Marketing
Maternal health services
Medicaid
Medical economics
Medically uninsured
Medicare
Military medicine
Minorities
Native Americans
Patient satisfaction
Payroll deductions
Poor children
Pregnant women
Prescription pricing
Presidential appointments
Quality of care
Reinsurance
Social Welfare
Social security taxes
Subsidies
Surveys
Tax credits
Tax exemption
Tax returns
Taxation
Veterans' medical care
Withholding tax
Women

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
American Health Benefits Program Act of 2004 - Amends the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code to establish an American Health Benefits Program to provide comprehensive health insurance coverage to all Americans (and permanent resident aliens) who are not covered under certain Federal health insurance programs. States that the coverage is provided in a manner similar to the manner in which coverage has been provided to Members of Congress and Federal Government. Allows for premium and cost-sharing subsidies for lower income individuals. Allows for certain tax credits with respect to the amount of premiums paid, and imposes an excise tax on employers to finance this new benefit. 
 
Directs the Comptroller General to provide for certain studies concerned with the integration of this new program with other public health insurance coverage and with the growth of prescription drug costs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-08-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1475)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in House