Health Security for All Americans Act of 2008

Bill: 110-hr-6699
Sponsor: Rep. Latham, Tom [R-IA-4]
Introduced: 2008-07-31 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Armed Forces and National Security
Armed forces reserves
Commerce
Day care
Department of Health and Human Services
Drugs
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Employee health benefits
Families
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to education
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Graduate education
Health insurance
Higher education
Hospitals
Income tax
Insurance premiums
Labor and Employment
Law
Medicare
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
Military medicine
Nurses
Nursing education
Pharmacies
Physical examinations
Physicians
Preventive medicine
Public service advertising
Rural health
Scholarships
Small business
Tax deductions
Taxation
Teacher education
Teacher supply and demand
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: 
Health Security for All Americans Act of 2008 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act regarding: (1) the physician payment update; (2) geographic cost-of-practice indices (GPCI) floors; (3) annual physical examinations; (4) the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program; (5) the inpatient hospital payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals; and (6) proportional representation of rural area interests on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC).
 
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a national public information campaign on initial preventive physical examinations for Medicare beneficiaries.
 
Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) with respect to rules governing enhanced marketplace pools for small business health plans.
 
Amends the Public Health Service Act to add a new title XXX (Health Care Insurance Marketplace Modernization) under which the Secretary shall promulgate regulations establishing minimum standards for health insurance premium variations and model small group rating rules. 
 
Provides for affordable plans and the harmonization of health insurance standards.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax deduction for the qualified health insurance costs of individuals.
 
Amends veterans benefits law to allow an enrolled veteran to elect to receive covered health services through a non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility.
 
Authorizes VA pharmacies to dispense medications to veterans on private practitioner prescriptions.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to carry out a program of child care assistance for individuals pursuing advanced nursing degrees.
 
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary to award grants to partnerships of accredited nursing schools and hospitals or health facilities to establish projects to enable a hospital or health facility to retain its staff of experienced nurses while having these individuals become, through an accelerated nursing education program, faculty members of an accredited nursing school.
 
Directs the Secretary to award grants to institutions of higher education that offer: (1) a Registered Nurse (RN) nursing program at the baccalaureate or associate degree level to enable the program to expand its faculty and facilities to accommodate additional RN nursing program students; or (2) a graduate-level nursing program to accommodate advanced practice degrees for RNs or to accommodate students enrolled in a graduate-level nursing program to provide teachers of nursing students.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to carry out programs to increase the number of nurses within the armed forces.
 
Prescribes requirements for determination of the effective date of active duty for members of a reserve component of the armed forces.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Ways and Means, Veterans' Affairs, 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: 2008-07-31
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Ways and Means, Veterans' Affairs, 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: 2008-07-31
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Ways and Means, Veterans' Affairs, 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: 2008-07-31
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Ways and Means, Veterans' Affairs, 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: 2008-07-31
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Ways and Means, Veterans' Affairs, 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: 2008-07-31
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Ways and Means, Veterans' Affairs, 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: 2008-07-31
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Introduced in House