Health Care for Working Families Act of 2003

Bill: 108-hr-3100
Sponsor: Rep. Pallone, Frank, Jr. [D-NJ-6]
Introduced: 2003-09-16 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Commerce
Contractors
Employee health benefits
Families
Federal employees
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Government employees' health insurance
Health
Health insurance
Injunctions
Insurance premiums
Law
Medicaid
Medical economics
Medicare
Military medicine
Part-time employment
Payroll deductions
Social Welfare
State laws
Temporary employment

Summary:
action_date: 2003-09-16
text: Health Care for Working Families Act of 2003 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to establish a new title II, Health Benefits for Employees and Their Families. 
Requires each large employer to: (1) offer to each of its employees the opportunity to enroll in a qualifying health benefit plan that provides coverage for the employee and the employee's family; (2) contribute to the cost of such plan; and (3) withhold the employee share of the plan premium from the employee's wages.
Defines a large employer as one that employed an average of at least 50 full-time employees (including contract workers) on business days during the preceding calendar year, and employs at least 50 employees on the first day of the plan year. 
Defines a qualifying health benefit plan as one that: (1) provides benefits for health care items and services actuarially equivalent to or greater in value than those offered as of January 1, 2004, under the Blue Cross-Blue Shield (BC-BS) Standard Plan provided under the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP); and (2) meets applicable requirements under the Public Health Service Act. Sets the minimum required contribution by an employer at the same portion of the total premium as the Federal Government pays for such BC-BS Standard Plan under FEHBP. 
Requires any employee covered under a Federal health insurance program (including Medicare, Medicaid, FEHBP, and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services), with certain exceptions, to accept an employer's offer of health insurance coverage and agree to payroll withholdings, or request the Federal health insurance program to pay the employee share of the premium.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to require a health insurance issuer that offers employee health insurance coverage to an employer to ensure that it complies with requirements of this Act.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-09
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization.
action_date: 2003-10-06
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
action_date: 2003-10-06
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.
action_date: 2003-10-03
text: Executive Comment Requested from DOD.
action_date: 2003-10-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Total Force.
action_date: 2003-09-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
action_date: 2003-09-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2003-09-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Government Reform, and Armed Services, 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: 2003-09-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Government Reform, and Armed Services, 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: 2003-09-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Government Reform, and Armed Services, 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: 2003-09-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Government Reform, and Armed Services, 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: 2003-09-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Government Reform, and Armed Services, 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: 2003-09-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Government Reform, and Armed Services, 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: 2003-09-16
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-09-16
text: Introduced in House