Patients' Choice Act

Bill: 111-s-1099
Sponsor: Sen. Coburn, Tom [R-OK]
Introduced: 2009-05-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Civil actions and liability
Congressional oversight
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Employee benefits and pensions
Food assistance and relief
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government studies and investigations
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Health technology, devices, supplies
Income tax credits
Income tax exclusion
Indian social and development programs
Intergovernmental relations
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicaid
Medical research
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Medicare
Minority health
Nutrition and diet
Poverty and welfare assistance
Prescription drugs
Public contracts and procurement
State and local government operations
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-20
text: 
Patients' Choice Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convene an interagency coordinating committee to develop a national strategic plan for prevention. Provides for health promotion and disease prevention activities consistent with such plan.
 
Sets forth provisions governing the establishment and operation of state-based health care exchanges to facilitate the individual purchase of private health insurance and the creation of a market where private health plans compete for enrolles based on price and quality.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit for qualified health care insurance coverage.
 
Replaces title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act with a program to provide grants to states for: (1) acute medical care assistance to otherwise qualified blind or disabled individuals, foster care children, low-income women with breast or cervical cancer, certain tuberculosis-infected individuals, and certain individuals currently covered; and (2) long-term care services and supports for qualified disabled and elderly populations.
 
Repeals title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP) of the Social Security Act.
 
Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to supplement the costs of private health insurance for eligible low-income families through the distribution of supplemental debit cards, which may be used for costs associated with health care and provide direct support in accessing health care.
 
Requires the Secretary to establish and implement a competitive bidding mechanism to promote competition among Medicare Advantage plans and to increase the quality of care furnished under the plans. Requires benchmarks for such plans to be established solely through competitive bids.
 
Sets forth programs to prevent Medicare fraud and abuse, including ending the use of social security numbers to identify Medicare beneficiaries.
 
Allows the Secretary to award grants for the development, implementation, and evaluation of alternatives to current tort litigation for the resolution of disputes concerning injuries allegedly caused by health care providers or health care organizations.
 
Requires the Secretary to promulgate regulations to provide for the certification and auditing of the banking of electronic medical records.
 
Establishes: (1) a Health Care Services Commission to enhance the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of health care services and access to such services; and (2) the Office of the Forum for Quality and Effectiveness in Health Care.
 
Terminates the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
 
Independent Health Record Trust Act of 2009 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prescribe standards for the establishment, certification, operation, and interoperability of independent health record trusts.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) permit Indians to receive health care through providers outside of the Indian Health Service; and (2) make payments for such care.
 
Terminates the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-05-20
text: Introduced in Senate