Family and Retirement Health Investment Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2010
Sponsor: Rep. Paulsen, Erik [R-MN-3]
Introduced: 2011-05-26 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Bankruptcy
Employee benefits and pensions
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health promotion and preventive care
Income tax exclusion
Indian social and development programs
Medicaid
Medicare
Military medicine
Minority health
Nutrition and diet
Physical fitness and lifestyle
Prescription drugs
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-26
text: 
Family and Retirement Health Investment Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to health savings accounts (HSAs), to allow: (1) both spouses to make increased catch-up contributions to the same HSA; (2) Medicare Part A beneficiaries to establish and contribute to an HSA; (3) veterans eligible for service-connected disability benefits and individuals eligible for Indian health service assistance to establish an HSA; (4) individuals eligible to receive benefits under certain TRICARE plans to establish an HSA; (5) a carryforward of unused benefits, up to $500, in a flexible spending arrangement; (6) payments from an HSA for prescription and over-the-counter medicine or drugs; (7) the use of HSAs to purchase certain health insurance coverage and long-term care insurance; and (8) payment of certain medical expenses incurred before the establishment of an HSA.
 
Amends the bankruptcy code to treat HSAs as tax-exempt individual retirement accounts (IRAs) for purposes of exempting them from creditor claims.
 
Reauthorizes the use of Medicaid health opportunity accounts.
 
Treats as medical care for purposes of the tax deduction for medical expenses certain exercise equipment and physical fitness programs, nutritional and dietary supplements, and periodic fees paid to a primary physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. 
 
Repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that impose annual limitations on deductibles for health plans offered in the small group market. 
 

 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-08-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law.
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2011-06-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2011-05-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce, 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: 2011-05-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce, 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: 2011-05-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce, 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: 2011-05-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-26
text: Introduced in House