Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019

Bill: 116-hr-986
Sponsor: Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2]
Introduced: 2019-02-06 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of the Treasury
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-06
text: 

Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019

 
This bill nullifies the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Health and Human Services guidance titled &quot;State Relief and Empowerment Waivers,&quot; published on October 24, 2018. The guidance pertains to Section 1332 waivers (also known as State Innovation Waivers or State Relief and Empowerment Waivers), which allow states to forego certain requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in order to implement experimental plans for health care coverage, as long as the resulting coverage meets certain statutory criteria. 
 
The guidance, which supersedes earlier guidance from 2015, alters agency interpretation of how states may satisfy the statutory criteria for waiver approval. For example, the guidance (1) redefines acceptable coverage under such waivers to include short-term, limited-duration insurance and association health plans; (2) allows the comprehensiveness and affordability of coverage under such waivers to be assessed based on projected availability, rather than enrollment; and (3) allows the level of coverage to be assessed based on the effects over the entire course of the waiver, rather than per year.

action_date: 2019-04-30
text: 

Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019

 
This bill nullifies the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Health and Human Services guidance titled &quot;State Relief and Empowerment Waivers,&quot; published on October 24, 2018. The guidance pertains to Section 1332 waivers (also known as State Innovation Waivers or State Relief and Empowerment Waivers), which allow states to forego certain requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in order to implement experimental plans for health care coverage, as long as the resulting coverage meets certain statutory criteria. 
 
The guidance, which supersedes earlier guidance from 2015, alters agency interpretation of how states may satisfy the statutory criteria for waiver approval. For example, the guidance (1) redefines acceptable coverage under such waivers to include short-term, limited-duration insurance and association health plans; (2) allows the comprehensiveness and affordability of coverage under such waivers to be assessed based on projected availability, rather than enrollment; and (3) allows the level of coverage to be assessed based on the effects over the entire course of the waiver, rather than per year.

action_date: 2019-05-09
text: 

Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019

 
(Sec. 3) This bill nullifies guidance from the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Health and Human Services titled 
State Relief and Empowerment Waivers
, published on October 24, 2018. The guidance pertains to Section 1332 waivers (also known as State Innovation Waivers or State Relief and Empowerment Waivers), which allow states to forego certain requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in order to implement experimental plans for health care coverage, as long as the resulting coverage meets certain statutory criteria. 
 
The guidance, which supersedes earlier guidance from 2015, alters agency interpretation of how states may satisfy the statutory criteria for waiver approval. For example, the guidance (1) redefines acceptable coverage under such waivers to include short-term, limited-duration insurance and association health plans; (2) allows the comprehensiveness and affordability of coverage under such waivers to be assessed based on projected availability, rather than enrollment; and (3) allows the level of coverage to be assessed based on the effects over the entire course of the waiver, rather than per year.
 
(Sec. 4) The Government Accountability Office must report on the number of individuals that would have been expected to lose access to health insurance coverage, as well as the expected effect on mental health care treatment, in the absence of this bill.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-05-15
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 90.
action_date: 2019-05-14
text: Received in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 230 - 183, 1 Present (Roll no. 196).
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 230 - 183, 1 Present (Roll no. 196).
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 182 - 231 (Roll no. 195).
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Walden motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to prohibit the Secretary of HHS to waive protections for individuals with preexisting conditions, including guaranteed availablity and renewability of health insurance, the prohibition on using health status to vary premiums, and the prohibition on preexisting conditions exclusions.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: Mr. Walden moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. (text: CR H3548)
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 986.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Wild amendment, the Chair put the question on the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Ms. Wild demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Wild amendment No. 12.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Malinowski amendment, the Chair put the question on the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Malinowski demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Malinowski amendment No. 11.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Rouda amendment No. 10.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Pappas amendment No. 9.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Porter amendment No. 8.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Holding amendment No. 7, the Chair put the question on the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Pallone demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Holding amendment No. 7.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Walden amendment No. 5.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Harder amendment No. 4.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Pressley amendment No. 3.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Brown (MD) amendment, the Chair put the question on the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Brown (MD) demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Brown (MD) amendment No. 2.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Langevin amendment No. 1.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 986.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 357 and Rule XVIII.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: The Speaker designated the Honorable Jesus G. "Chuy" Garcia to act as Chairman of the Committee.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 986 and H.R. 2157. Specified amendments are in order. Provides for consideration of H.R. 986 and H.R. 2157 both under structured rules. One hour of general debate provided for each measure.
action_date: 2019-05-09
text: Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 357. (consideration: CR H3519-3550)
action_date: 2019-05-07
text: Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 357 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 986 and H.R. 2157. Specified amendments are in order. Provides for consideration of H.R. 986 and H.R. 2157 both under structured rules. One hour of general debate provided for each measure.
action_date: 2019-04-30
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 22.
action_date: 2019-04-30
text: Committee on Ways and Means discharged.
action_date: 2019-04-30
text: Committee on Ways and Means discharged.
action_date: 2019-04-30
text: Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 116-44, Part I.
action_date: 2019-04-30
text: Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 116-44, Part I.
action_date: 2019-04-03
text: Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2019-04-03
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2019-03-27
text: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by the Yeas and Nays: 19 - 13 .
action_date: 2019-03-27
text: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2019-02-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2019-02-06
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2019-02-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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: 2019-02-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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: 2019-02-06
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2019-02-06
text: Introduced in House