Ensuring Full Use of Federal Health Care Funding Act of 2014

Bill: 113-hr-3884
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [D-NJ-9]
Introduced: 2014-01-15
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Comprehensive health care

Health care costs and insurance

Health care coverage and access

Health information and medical records

Health programs administration and funding

Intergovernmental relations

Marketing and advertising

State and local finance
Latest action: action_date: 2014-01-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-01-15
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Ensuring Full Use of Federal Health Care Funding Act of 2014 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to recoup any funds awarded to a state to establish health care exchanges to the extent the state has not obligated them for expenditure before April 1, 2014. Allows the Secretary, however, not to recoup such funds from a state if the state has approved, before March 31, 2014, a plan to spend them for such exchanges in a timely manner.</p> <p>Requires the Secretary to use any recouped funds to make grants to qualified entities to: (1) build and fund operations of an in-person assistance personnel (IPA) program (also known as &quot;non-Navigator assistance personnel&quot;); (2) coordinate with other health and human services organizations in the state to broaden outreach to individuals eligible to enroll in qualified health plans through the exchange operating in the state; and (3) produce and disseminate marketing and campaign materials, subject to the Secretary's approval.</p> <p>Requires a qualified entity to: (1) have (or readily and on a timely basis be able to establish) relationships with employers and employees, consumers (both uninsured and underinsured), or self-employed individuals in the state that are likely to be qualified to enroll in coverage options made available through a health care exchange in the state; (2) be capable of carrying out grant activities; and (3) meet specified standards.</p> <p>Lists as types of qualified entities: (1) a trade, industry, and professional association; (2) a commercial fishing industry organization; (3) a ranching and farming organization; (4) a community and consumer-focused nonprofit group; (5) a chamber of commerce; (6) a union; (7) a resource partner of the Small Business Administration (SBA); (8) a licensed insurance agent or broker; and (9) any other entity that meets the qualification standards.</p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 3884 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 15, 2014 Mr. Pascrell (for himself, Mr. Michaud , and Mr. Pallone ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend section 1311(a) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide for the recoupment and reallocation of unspent State grant funds, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ensuring Full Use of Federal Health Care Funding Act of 2014 . 2. Recoupment and reallocation of Federal section 1311 ACA grant funds Section 1311(a) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ( 42 U.S.C. 18031(a) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting before the period at the end the following: and to make grants under paragraph (7) to qualified entities in a State from funds recouped under paragraph (6) from that State ; (2) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the following: Not later than May 1, 2014, the Secretary shall determine the recoupment amount under paragraph (6) for each State and the amounts that will be made so available for grants under paragraph (7) for qualified entities in each State. ; (3) in paragraph (3), by adding at the end the following: A qualified entity awarded a grant under paragraph (7) shall use such grant for activities consistent with subparagraph (C) of such paragraph. ; and (4) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: (6) Recoupment of unexpended funds (A) In general Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall recoup any funds awarded to a State under this subsection to the extent that such funds are not obligated by the State for expenditure before April 1, 2014. (B) Exception The Secretary may, in the Secretary’s discretion, decide not to recoup the funds of a State under subparagraph (A) if the State has submitted to the Secretary and the Secretary has approved, before March 31, 2014, a plan for spending such funds in accordance with this subsection in a timely manner. (7) Application of recouped funds for grants to other entities within a State (A) In general Insofar as the Secretary recoups funds under paragraph (6) from a State, the Secretary shall use all such funds to make grants, before the beginning of the open enrollment period for 2015, to qualified entities under subparagraph (B) to carry out activities in the State consistent with subparagraph (C). (B) Eligibility (i) In general To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph with respect to a State, an entity shall demonstrate to the Secretary that the entity— (I) has (or can readily and on a timely basis establish) relationships with employers and employees, consumers (including uninsured and underinsured consumers), or self-employed individuals in the State that are likely to be qualified to enroll in coverage options made available through an Exchange in the State; (II) is capable of carrying out the activities described in subparagraph (C) for which a grant is being granted; (III) meets the standards described in clause (iii); and (IV) provides information consistent with standards developed under clause (iv). (ii) Types of qualified entities Such an entity may be a trade, industry, and professional association, commercial fishing industry organization, ranching and farming organization, community and consumer-focused nonprofit group, chamber of commerce, union, resource partner of the Small Business Administration, and other licensed insurance agent or broker, and another entity, so long as it meets the requirements of clause (i). (iii) Entity standards The Secretary shall establish standards for qualified entities under this subparagraph relating to their qualification to engage in the outreach, education, and enrollment activities described in subparagraph (C) and to avoid conflicts of interest. Under such standards, a qualified entity shall not— (I) be a health insurance issuer; or (II) receive any consideration directly or indirectly from any health insurance issuer in connection with the enrollment of any qualified individuals or employees of a qualified employer in a qualified health plan. (iv) Fair and impartial information and services The Secretary shall develop standards to ensure that information made available by qualified entities under a grant under this paragraph is fair, accurate, and impartial. (C) Use of grants Grants under this paragraph may be used for any of the purposes or activities for which a grant to a State under this subsection may be used, including the following: (i) Non-navigator assistance personnel To build and fund operations of an in-person assistance personnel (IPA) program (also known as non-Navigator assistance personnel ). (ii) Outreach To coordinate with other health and human services organizations in the State to broaden outreach (such as Marketplace information on applications for other programs, websites, emails or through IPA call centers) to individuals eligible to enroll in qualified health plans through the Exchange operating in the State. (iii) Marketing To produce and disseminate marketing and campaign materials, including brochures, direct mail, print ads, social media and digital and online ads, and TV and radio buys, such materials subject to approval by the Secretary. .