Expanded Consumer Choice Act

Bill: 113-s-1729
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Begich, Mark [D-AK]
Introduced: 2013-11-19
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Comprehensive health care

Department of Health and Human Services

Health care costs and insurance

Health care coverage and access
Latest action: action_date: 2013-11-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-11-19
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Expanded Consumer Choice Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide a new &quot;copper&quot; level of coverage under qualified health plans, designed to provide benefits that are actuarially equivalent to 50% of the full actuarial value of the benefits provided under the plan. Requires cost-sharing under such a plan to exceed the amount applicable to a plan at the bronze level.</p> <p>Requires the Secretary of Health Human Services (HHS) to promulgate regulations providing for annual limits on deductibles and cost-sharing for copper-level plans to ensure that the limits are reasonable for every marketplace and to consider the feasibility of the relative plan design in each local insurance marketplace.</p> <p>Allows qualification of copper-level plans as multi-state plans.</p>

tv_txt: II 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1729 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 19, 2013 Mr. Begich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide further options with respect to levels of coverage under qualified health plans.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Expanded Consumer Choice Act . 2. Providing for a new level of coverage under qualified health plans (a) In general Section 1302 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ( 42 U.S.C. 18022 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(3), by inserting copper, after either the ; (2) in subsection (c)— (A) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following: (C) Copper plans The cost-sharing incurred under a health plan in the copper level with respect to self-only coverage or coverage other than self-only coverage for a plan year beginning in 2015 shall not be less than an amount determined appropriate by the Secretary (such amount to be in excess of the amount applicable to a bronze plan) increased as provided for in subparagraph (B) for later plan years. ; (B) in paragraph (2)— (i) in subparagraph (A)— (I) in clause (i), by striking and at the end; (II) in clause (ii), by striking the period and inserting ; and ; and (III) by adding at the end the following: (iii) for plan years beginning in 2015, the amount provided for under paragraph (1)(C) in the case of a plan in the copper level. ; and (ii) in subparagraph (C), by inserting or copper after bronze ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (5) Regulations relating to plans in the copper level The Secretary shall promulgate regulations to provide for annual limits on deductibles and cost-sharing for plans in the copper level to ensure that such limits are reasonable for every marketplace and to take into account the feasibility of the relative plan design in each local insurance marketplace. ; (3) in subsection (d)— (A) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following: (E) Copper level Beginning in plan year 2015, a plan in the copper level shall provide a level of coverage that is designed to provide benefits that are actuarially equivalent to 50 percent of the full actuarial value of the benefits provided under the plan. ; and (B) in paragraph (4), by inserting copper, after providing a ; and (4) in subsection (e)(1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting copper, after providing a . (b) Multi-State plans Section 1334(c)(1)(B) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ( 42 U.S.C. 18054(c)(1)(B) ) is amended by inserting copper, after offering of the .