Health Security for All Americans Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-3067
Sponsor: Rep. Latham, Tom [R-IA-4]
Introduced: 2009-06-26 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Child care and development
Department of Health and Human Services
Education programs funding
Employee benefits and pensions
Government information and archives
Health care costs and insurance
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health promotion and preventive care
Hospital care
Income tax deductions
Medical education
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Medicare
Military medicine
National Guard and reserves
Nursing
Prescription drugs
Rural conditions and development
Small business
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2009-06-26
text: 
Health Security for All Americans Act of 2009 - 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 (PHSA) to add a new title XXXI (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.
 

 
 Amends PHSA to authorize the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to enter into an agreement for the repayment of education loans with any U.S. citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident who: (1) holds an unencumbered license as a registered nurse; and (2) has either already completed a master's or doctorate nursing program at an accredited school of nursing or is currently enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis in such a program.
 
Requires each such agreement to require the eligible individual to serve as a full-time member of the faculty of an accredited school of nursing for a minimum four-year period.
 
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: 2009-08-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
action_date: 2009-07-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2009-06-26
text: Referred to House Armed Services
action_date: 2009-06-26
text: Referred to House Veterans' Affairs
action_date: 2009-06-26
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2009-06-26
text: Referred to House Education and Labor
action_date: 2009-06-26
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: 2009-06-26
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-06-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-06-26
text: Introduced in House