America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-3200
Sponsor: Rep. Dingell, John D. [D-MI-15]
Introduced: 2009-07-14 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Advisory bodies
Border security and unlawful immigration
Child health
Comprehensive health care
Consumer affairs
Dental care
Department of Health and Human Services
Disability and health-based discrimination
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Employee benefits and pensions
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Evidence and witnesses
Executive agency funding and structure
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
General health and health care finance matters
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Health technology, devices, supplies
Home and outpatient care
Income tax credits
Income tax rates
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Marketing and advertising
Medicaid
Medical education
Medical research
Medicare
Mental health
Nursing
Poverty and welfare assistance
Prescription drugs
Rural conditions and development
Small business
Student aid and college costs
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Taxation of foreign income

Summary:
action_date: 2009-07-14
text: 
America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 - Sets forth provisions governing health insurance plans and issuers, including: (1) exempting grandfathered health insurance coverage from requirements of this Act; (2) prohibiting preexisting condition exclusions; (3) providing for guaranteed coverage to all individuals and employers and automatic renewal of coverage; (4) prohibiting premium variances, except for reasons of age, area, or family enrollment; and (5) prohibiting rescission of health insurance coverage without clear and convincing evidence of fraud. 
 
Requires qualified health benefits plans to provide essential benefits. Prohibits an essential benefits package from imposing any annual or lifetime coverage limits. Lists required covered services, including hospitalization, prescription drugs, mental health services, preventive services, maternity care, and children's dental, vision, and hearing services and equipment. Limits annual out-of-pocket expenses to $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a family.
 
Establishes the Health Choices Administration as an independent agency to be headed by a Health Choices Commissioner. Establishes the Health Insurance Exchange within the Health Choices Administration in order to provide individuals and employers access to health insurance coverage choices, including a public health insurance option. Requires the Commissioner to: (1) contract with entities to offer health benefit plans through the Exchange to eligible individuals; and (2) establish a risk-pooling mechanism for Exchange-participating health plans.
 

 
Provides for an affordability premium credit and an affordability cost-sharing credit for low-income individuals and families participating in the Exchange.
 
Requires employers to offer health benefits coverage to employees and make specified contributions towards such coverage or make contributions to the Exchange for employees obtaining coverage through the Exchange. Exempts businesses with payrolls below $250,000 from such requirement. 
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a tax on: (1) an individual without coverage under a health benefits plan; and (2) an employer that fails to satisfy health coverage participation requirements for an employee. Imposes a surtax on individual modified adjusted gross income exceeding $350,000.
 
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise provisions relating to payment, coverage, and access, including to: (1) reduce payments to hospitals to account for excess readmissions; (2) limit cost-sharing for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries; (3) reduce the coverage gap under Medicare Part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program); (4) provide for increased payment for primary health care services; and (5) prohibit cost-sharing for covered preventive services. 
 
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide for the development of quality measures for the delivery of health care services in the United States. 
 
Establishes a Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research within the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, financed by a tax on accident and health insurance policies, to conduct and support health care services effectiveness research.
 
Sets forth provisions to reduce health care fraud.
 
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to: (1) expand Medicaid eligibility for low-income individuals and families; (2) require coverage of additional preventive services; and (3) increase payments for primary care services.
 
Sets forth provisions relating to the health workforce, including: (1) addressing health care workforce needs through loan repayment and training; (2) establishing the Public Health Workforce Corps; (3) addressing health care workforce diversity; and (4) establishing the Advisory Committee on Health Workforce Evaluation and Assessment.
 
Sets forth provisions to: (1) provide for prevention and wellness activities; (2) establish the Center for Quality Improvement; (3) establish the position of the Assistant Secretary for Health Information; (4) revise the 340B drug discount program (a program limiting the cost of covered outpatient drugs to certain federal grantees); (5) establish a school-based health care program; and (6) establish a national medical device registry. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-10-14
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 168.
action_date: 2009-10-14
text: Committee on The Budget discharged.
action_date: 2009-10-14
text: Committee on The Budget discharged.
action_date: 2009-10-14
text: Committee on Oversight and Government discharged.
action_date: 2009-10-14
text: Committee on Oversight and Government discharged.
action_date: 2009-10-14
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Labor. H. Rept. 111-299, Part III.
action_date: 2009-10-14
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Labor. H. Rept. 111-299, Part III.
action_date: 2009-10-14
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 111-299, Part II.
action_date: 2009-10-14
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 111-299, Part II.
action_date: 2009-10-14
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 111-299, Part I.
action_date: 2009-10-14
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 111-299, Part I.
action_date: 2009-07-31
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 31 - 28.
action_date: 2009-07-31
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2009-07-21
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2009-07-20
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2009-07-17
text: Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 23 - 18.
action_date: 2009-07-17
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2009-07-17
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 26 - 22.
action_date: 2009-07-17
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2009-07-17
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2009-07-16
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2009-07-16
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2009-07-15
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2009-07-14
text: Referred to House Budget
action_date: 2009-07-14
text: Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform
action_date: 2009-07-14
text: Referred to House Education and Labor
action_date: 2009-07-14
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2009-07-14
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, 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: 2009-07-14
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-07-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-07-14
text: Introduced in House