More Children, More Choices Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-464
Sponsor: Rep. Price, Tom [R-GA-6]
Introduced: 2009-01-13 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Budget deficits and national debt
Child health
Citizenship and naturalization
Employee benefits and pensions
Executive agency funding and structure
Government information and archives
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health programs administration and funding
Income tax credits
Intergovernmental relations
Legislative rules and procedure
Medicaid
Medicare
Poverty and welfare assistance
Sex and reproductive health
State and local finance
State and local government operations
Tax treatment of families
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-13
text: 
More Children, More Choices Act of 2009 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require a state SCHIP plan to specify how it will achieve coverage for 90% of targeted low-income children.
 
Prohibits SCHIP payment for children with family income above 250% of the applicable poverty line.
 
Sets forth special rules for SCHIP payment for children with family income above 200% of the applicable poverty line.
 
Provides for standardization of income determinations.
 
Applies citizenship documentation requirements to SCHIP beneficiaries, and increases the federal matching rate for citizenship documentation enforcement under SSA title XIX (Medicaid) and SCHIP.
 
Places limitations on SCHIP eligibility based on substantial net assets.
 
Requires state SCHIP plans to describe how they will provide for targeted low-income children covered under a group health plan.
 
Revises federal financial participation requirements for employer-sponsored insurance.
 
Requires the offering of alternative coverage options under SCHIP.
 
Changes the allotment distribution formula for allotments to the states and the District of Columbia, particularly for targeted low-income children and pregnant women. Prohibits redistribution of unused allotments.
 
Reauthorizes the SCHIP program through FY2014 at increased levels.
 
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to eligible entities to improve outreach to and enrollment of eligible children.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a limited tax credit for qualified health insurance for any dependent child; and (2) advance payment to insurance providers of health insurance credit for purchasers of such insurance.
 
Directs the Secretary to establish a State Health Coverage Innovation Commission to make grants to states for innovative health reform projects.
 
Directs the Secretary to implement administrative reforms with respect to the Medicare and Medicaid programs sufficient to result in projected reductions in the Medicare and Medicaid federal budget baselines for FY2010-2015 that exceed the projected revenue loss for the same period attributable to the tax credit provided for, and the increase in the federal budget baseline for SCHIP resulting from, this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-14
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2009-01-13
text: Referred to House Rules
action_date: 2009-01-13
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2009-01-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Rules, 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: 2009-01-13
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-01-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-13
text: Introduced in House