Empowering Patients First Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1851
Sponsor: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2013-12-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Abortion
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration
Budget deficits and national debt
Child health
Civil actions and liability
Competition and antitrust
Comprehensive health care
Congressional oversight
Consumer affairs
Contracts and agency
Department of Health and Human Services
Disability and health-based discrimination
Education programs funding
Employee benefits and pensions
Evidence and witnesses
Federal preemption
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Hospital care
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Intergovernmental relations
Licensing and registrations
Medicaid
Medical education
Medical ethics
Medical research
Medicare
Performance measurement
Poverty and welfare assistance
Religion
Right of privacy
Small business
State and local government operations
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2013-12-18
text: 
Empowering Patients First Act of 2013 - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of their enactment. Restores or revives provisions amended or repealed by such Act or such health care provisions.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit for the cost of qualified health insurance costs for low-income taxpayers and a tax deduction for such costs for other taxpayers. 
 
Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment and governance of individual and small employer membership associations (IMAs) to make health benefits coverage available to IMA members and their dependents.
 
Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2013 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for establishment and governance of association health plans, which are group health plans whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations and which meet certain ERISA certification requirements. 
 
Directs that the laws of the state designated by a health insurance issuer (primary state) shall apply to individual health insurance coverage offered by that issuer in the primary state and in any other state (secondary state), but only if the coverage and issuer comply with conditions of this Act.
 
Amends title XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) require a state CHIP plan to specify how it will achieve coverage for 90% of targeted low-income children; and (2) prohibit CHIP payments for children with family income above 300% of the applicable poverty line. 

 Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue best practice guidelines for the treatment of medical conditions. Sets forth how such guidelines may be used in a health care lawsuit. 
Permits a group health plan to vary premiums and cost-sharing by up to 50% of the benefits based on participation (or lack of participation) in a wellness program.
 
Requires a health insurance issuer to provide claims information, on request, to a plan, plan sponsor, or plan administrator.
 
Prohibits the Secretary from using comparative effectiveness research or patient-centered outcomes research to deny coverage of an item or service under a federal health care program. 
 
Authorizes a state to establish a Health Plan and Provider Portal website to standardize information on health insurance plans available in the state. 
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of SSA to permit Medicare beneficiaries to contract with a physician or practitioner for health care items or services. Prohibits states from imposing limits on the amount of charges for health care services furnished by an eligible professional. 
 
Sets forth provisions regarding students loans and loan repayment for health care professionals.
 
Exempts health care professionals from federal and state antitrust laws in connection with negotiations with a health plan regarding contract terms under which the professionals provide health care items or services for which plan benefits are provided. 
Establishes discretionary spending limits for FY2022-FY2023 for new budget authority in the nondefense category and revises sequestration discretionary spending limits for FY2014-FY2021.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-12-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2013-12-18
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8978-8980)
action_date: 2013-12-18
text: Introduced in Senate