HealthCARE Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1030
Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Introduced: 2003-05-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Child health
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer education
Cost control
Disabled
Economics and Public Finance
Employee health benefits
Expedited congressional procedure
Families
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to child health services
Federal employees
Finance and Financial Sector
Flexible benefit plans
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government employees' health insurance
Government paperwork
Health care fraud
Health insurance
Health insurance continuation
Health maintenance organizations
House rules and procedure
Income tax
Insurance premiums
Labor and Employment
Law
Legislation
Licenses
Managed care
Marketing
Medicaid
Medical economics
Medically uninsured
Medicare
Poor children
Poverty
Preventive medicine
Profit
Reinsurance
Senate rules and procedure
Small business
Social Welfare
Standards
State employees
Tax credits
Tax penalties
Tax refunds
Tax returns
Welfare eligibility
Welfare waivers

Summary:
action_date: 2003-05-08
text: Health Coverage, Affordability, Responsibility, and Equity Act of 2003 or the HealthCARE Act of 2003 - Amends Title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow State plans for medical assistance to provide Medicaid coverage to individuals who meet a specified standard for poverty.
Amends Title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) of the Act to permit a State to opt to provide coverage of targeted low-income children in excess of the State's allotment.
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit a credit for the cost of qualified health insurance for the taxpayer or qualifying family members.
Provides for the advance payment by the Secretary of the Treasury of credit for health insurance costs of eligible low-income individuals.
Establishes a program of health insurance purchasing pools (purchasing pools) for eligible individuals in participating states.
Sets conditions entities must meet to enter into contracts with a purchasing pool operator. Prohibits participating insurers from limiting or denying coverage or increasing premiums for any of specified health factors.
Directs the Secretary to establish standards for State-based reinsurance programs, and permits the Secretary to award grants to States to cover the costs of such programs.
Directs the Secretary to establish the National Advisory Commission on Expanded Access to Health Care, which shall assess the effectiveness of programs designed to expand health care coverage or make such coverage affordable to otherwise uninsured individuals.
Permits a State to apply to the Secretary for waivers of such provisions of law as may be necessary for the State to implement policies that make comprehensive, affordable health coverage available for all State residents.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-05-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5956-5964)
action_date: 2003-05-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5953-5956)
action_date: 2003-05-08
text: Introduced in Senate