Health Insurance Freedom Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-1348
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Ellmers, Renee L. [R-NC-2]
Introduced: 2015-03-10
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health care costs and insurance

Health care coverage and access

Insurance industry and regulation
Latest action: action_date: 2015-03-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-03-10
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Health Insurance Freedom Act of 2015</b></p> This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to allow health insurance that meets state and federal benefit requirements as of October 1, 2013, to be sold on health insurance exchanges. Such insurance fulfills an individual's requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage but is not eligible for premium assistance and is not treated as a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum plan. Currently, health insurance must provide the essential health benefits to be sold on health insurance exchanges and fulfill an individual's requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage.

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1348 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 10, 2015 Mrs. Ellmers of North Carolina introduced the following bill; which was 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 A BILL To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to allow individuals to opt out of the minimum required health benefits by permitting health insurance issuers to offer qualified health plans that offer alternative benefits to the minimum essential health benefits otherwise required, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Health Insurance Freedom Act of 2015 . 2. Permitting health insurance issuers to offer qualified health plans with alternative health benefits so individuals can opt out of minimum essential health benefits Section 1301 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ( 42 U.S.C. 18021 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(1)(B), by inserting subject to paragraph (3), after (B) ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (3) Permitting alternative benefits (A) In general Notwithstanding subsection (a)(1)(B) or any other provision of this Act, a health insurance issuer may offer, both through an Exchange and outside of an Exchange, health insurance coverage that— (i) provides the essential health benefits package described in subsection (a) of section 1302, other than the minimum benefits required under subsection (b) of such section and the level of coverage required under subsection (c) of such section; and (ii) meets such Federal and State benefit requirements as otherwise applied as of October 1, 2013, in the State in which the coverage is offered. (B) Treatment (i) In general Except as provided in paragraph (2), health insurance coverage that is offered under paragraph (1) shall be treated as a qualified health plan for purposes of this Act (and the amendments made by this Act), including constituting minimum essential coverage for purposes of section 5000A(f)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (ii) Not eligible for subsidies; not treated as a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum plan Such health insurance coverage shall not— (I) be treated as a qualified health plan for purposes of applying section 36B of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and section 1402 of this Act; and (II) be treated as a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum plan or be taken into account in applying section 36B(b)(3)(B) of such Code. .