State-Based Universal Health Care Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-3241
Sponsor: Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7]
Introduced: 2015-07-28 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Child health
Comprehensive health care
Employee benefits and pensions
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health programs administration and funding
Income tax credits
Medicaid
Medicare
State and local finance
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: 

State-Based Universal Health Care Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to allow states to apply for waivers to health benefits coverage requirements in order to implement a universal health care plan. The state universal health care plan must be at least as comprehensive and affordable as coverage under federal health programs and cover substantially all state residents. 
 
States may apply to waive requirements for:
 
 
health insurance exchanges, plans sold on exchanges, and the program to support nonprofit insurance issuers;
 
reduced cost-sharing for individuals meeting income criteria;
 
health insurance premium subsidies, employer shared responsibility payments, and minimum essential coverage;
 
health benefits under titles XI (General Provisions), XVIII (Medicare), XIX (Medicaid), and XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act;
 
federal employee health benefits;
 
health benefits for members of the military; and
 
health insurance under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
 
 
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must pay a state that assumes responsibility for health coverage currently provided under a federal health program the amount that would otherwise have been spent under the program.
 HHS, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Departments of the Treasury, Defense, and Labor must coordinate and consolidate this state waiver process with existing waiver processes to ensure consistency and avoid duplication of effort.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-11-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-08-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-07-31
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, and Education and the Workforce, 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: 2015-07-28
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, and Education and the Workforce, 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: 2015-07-28
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, and Education and the Workforce, 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: 2015-07-28
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, and Education and the Workforce, 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: 2015-07-28
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, and Education and the Workforce, 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: 2015-07-28
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, and Education and the Workforce, 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: 2015-07-28
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1147)
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: Introduced in House