Healthcare Freedom and Choice Act

Bill: 119-hr-379
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]
Introduced: 2025-01-14
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Department of Health and Human Services

Health care costs and insurance
Latest action: action_date: 2025-01-14
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, and 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.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-14
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Healthcare Freedom and Choice Act</strong></p><p>This bill nullifies a rule regarding short-term, limited-duration health insurance&nbsp;plans. The rule was promulgated by the Internal Revenue Service,&nbsp;Employee Benefits Security Administration, and Department of Health and Human Services; is titled&nbsp;<em>Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance and Independent, Noncoordinated Excepted Benefits Coverage</em>; and was published April 3, 2024.</p><p>Short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans are plans that may only offer coverage for a limited amount of time and are exempt from the market requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (e.g., coverage of individuals with preexisting conditions).</p><p>The rule limits the length of the initial contract period for such a plan to no more than three months and, taking into account any renewals or extensions, the maximum coverage period to no more than four months. The rule also includes within the maximum renewal period limitation a new plan sold by the same issuer, or any issuer that is a member of the same controlled group, to the same policyholder within a 12-month period.</p><p>Regulations in effect prior to the rule this bill nullifies permitted short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans with an initial contract period of fewer than 12 months and a maximum coverage period of up to 36 months, including renewals and extensions.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 379 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 14, 2025 Mr. Carter of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Buchanan , Mr. Crenshaw , Ms. Letlow , Mr. Allen , Mr. Smucker , and Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce , and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce , and 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 provide that the rule relating to Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance and Independent, Noncoordinated Excepted Benefits Coverage (89 Fed. Reg. 23338 (April 3, 2024)) shall have no force or effect.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Healthcare Freedom and Choice Act . 2. Short-term, limited duration insurance rule nullification The final interagency rule published by the Internal Revenue Service, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Health and Human Services Department relating to Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance and Independent, Noncoordinated Excepted Benefits Coverage (89 Fed. Reg. 23338 (April 3, 2024)) shall have no force or effect.