Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation & Surgery (CARES) Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-1655
Sponsor: Rep. McCarthy, Carolyn [D-NY-4]
Introduced: 2007-03-22 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Ambulatory care
Child development
Child health
Employee health benefits
Families
Finance and Financial Sector
Health insurance
Hereditary diseases
Labor and Employment
Surgery
Trauma care
Wounds

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-22
text: 
Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation & Surgery (CARES) Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering group coverage, that cover surgical benefits to also cover outpatient and inpatient diagnosis and treatment of a congenital or developmental deformity, disease, or injury of a minor child (defined as child under the age of 22).

Requires that such coverage: (1) be subject to pre-authorization or pre-certification requirements of the plan or issuer; and (2) include any surgical treatment deemed by the treating physician to be medically necessary to approximate a normal appearance. Defines &quot;treatment&quot; to include reconstructive surgical procedures that are performed on abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, or disease, including: (1) procedures that do not materially affect the function of the body part being treated; and (2) procedures for secondary conditions and follow-up treatment. Excludes cosmetic surgery performed to reshape normal structures of the body to improve appearance or self-esteem. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-06-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-04-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-03-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-03-22
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, 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: 2007-03-22
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, 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: 2007-03-22
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, 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: 2007-03-22
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, 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: 2007-03-22
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-03-22
text: Introduced in House