jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-05-29 00:00:00

Preservation of Access for Seniors in Medicare Advantage Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a three-year demonstration program (extendable if necessary to four or five years) to test the use of value-based insurance design methodologies under the eligible Medicare Advantage (MA) plans offered by MA organizations under part C (Medicare+Choice Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct).

"Value-based insurance design methodology" is one for identifying specific prescription medications, and clinical services payable under Medicare, for which copayments, coinsurance, or both would improve the management of specific chronic clinical conditions because of the high value and effectiveness of such medications and services for such specific chronic clinical conditions, as approved by HHS.

HHS may expand the duration and scope of the demonstration program to an appropriate extent if specified requirements are met.

(Sec. 3) The annual 45-day period for disenrollment from MA plans to elect to receive benefits under the original Medicare fee-for-service program, and to elect coverage under part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program), shall end on December 31, 2015.

Starting in 2016, a Medicare Advantage eligible individual, during the first three months of any year, may change a previous election to elect to receive benefits through the original Medicare fee-for-service program or an MA plan, and to elect coverage under part D.

This continuous open enrollment and disenrollment period during the first three months of any year starting in 2016 shall apply with respect to a prescription drug plan only in the case of an individual who, previous to such change in enrollment, is enrolled in a MA plan.

No unsolicited marketing or marketing materials may be sent to such an eligible individual during the continuous open enrollment and disenrollment period.

(Sec. 4) This bill also amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of SSAct title XVIII to revise requirements (in effect, changing payment methodologies from 95% of the Average Wholesale Price to the Average Sales Price plus six) for payments for infusion drugs and biologicals furnished through durable medical equipment on or after January 1, 2017.

(Sec. 5) It is the sense of Congress that HHS:

 has incorrectly interpreted the determination of blended benchmark amounts as prohibiting any Medicare quality incentive payments with respect to MA plans that exceed the payment benchmark cap for the area served by those plans; and should immediately apply quality incentive payments with respect to such MA plans without regard to specified limits.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-06-04 00:00:00

Restoring Equity, Saving Coverage, and Undoing Errors Act of 2015 or the RESCUE America's Health Care Act of 2015

This bill applies only: (1) if the Supreme Court determines that the premium tax credit under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is not applicable to health plans purchased through the federal health insurance exchange, and (2) in states without a state health insurance exchange.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for individuals with health insurance who are ineligible for federal health care and not enrolled in an employer-subsidized group health plan.

The Department of the Treasury must make payments to health insurers on behalf of taxpayers eligible for the tax credit.

This bill repeals certain provisions of PPACA and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 relating to health insurance, health savings accounts, and health flexible spending accounts. Provisions amended by the repealed provisions are restored.

Any health plan fulfills an individual's requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage.

Dental plans no longer need to provide pediatric dental benefits to be offered on a health insurance exchange.

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to define individual health pools (IHPs) as nonprofit entities that form health insurance risk pools. IHPs are prohibited from conditioning membership on an individual's health status and must offer the same coverage to all members. State benefit requirements and restrictions on premium variation do not apply to IHPs.

Health insurers in the individual market must offer coverage to all individuals.

A health insurer may exclude coverage for a preexisting condition or vary premiums based on health status only for individuals who have not had continuous coverage for the last 18 months.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-06-09 00:00:00

Insurance Rate Transparency Act

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services to report to Congress within 30 days of receiving information on health insurance premium increases for the 2016 plan year on the increase with information presented according to specified categories of consumers (e.g., single, non-smoking male who is 30 years of age).
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-06-10 00:00:00

Commonsense Reporting and Verification Act of 2015

This bill requires the Department of Treasury to implement and maintain a voluntary prospective reporting system for employers subject to the employer mandate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

Employers satisfy the information return requirement if they voluntarily report general information about the health coverage offered to full-time employees. Employers satisfy the employee statement requirement if they provide statements to employees after receiving exchange notification that employee or spouse or dependent enrolled in a qualified health plan or qualified for premium tax credits or cost-sharing subsidies.

The legislation amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) permit employers and health insurance issuers that provide minimum essential coverage to submit an information return with names and birth dates of covered dependents if the employer or health insurance issuer does not already collect or maintain their taxpayer identification numbers, and (2) permit electronic delivery of employee statement if employee consented previously to electronic delivery of other notices and does not refuse consent in writing.

It directs the Government Accountability Office to: (1) evaluate the exchange notification and appeals processes for employers whose employee or spouse or dependent enrolls in a qualified health plan or qualifies for premium tax credits or cost-sharing subsidies, and (2) evaluate the prospective reporting system functionality.

The legislation permits a health insurance exchange to automatically reenroll an individual into a qualified health plan after annually redetermining the individual's eligibility for premium tax credits or cost-sharing subsidies.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-06-11 00:00:00

Cancer Drug Coverage Parity Act of 2015

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require a group or individual health plan that covers anticancer medications administered by a health care provider to provide no less favorable coverage for anticancer medications administered by a patient. A plan may apply to patient-administered anticancer medications only the cost-sharing and limitations that apply to anticancer medications administered by a health care provider.

These requirements apply to medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration that is prescribed based on a finding by the treating physician that the medication is medically necessary for cancer treatment and is clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent site, and duration.

To comply with these requirements, health plans may not, for anticancer medications: (1) change or replace benefits to increase out-of-pocket costs; (2) reclassify benefits to increase costs; or (3) apply more restrictive limitations to orally administered medications than to intravenously administered or injected medications.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-06-12 00:00:00

Help Extend Auditory Relief (HEAR) Act of 2015 

 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover aural rehabilitation services, hearing aids as durable medical equipment, audiology rehabilitation services, and related hearing services.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-06-12 00:00:00

Patient Freedom Act of 2015

This bill provides states with three options regarding title I (provisions on health insurance reform, exchanges, and subsidies) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA): (1) continue implementing PPACA, (2) do not apply title I of PPACA except to prohibit lifetime or annual limits on health insurance benefits and require coverage of dependents up to 26 years old, or (3) the second option plus implementation of a health savings account (HSA) deposit system.

In states implementing an HSA deposit system, residents who are enrolled in health insurance coverage that meets state standards receive monthly deposits in their HSAs either from states administering federal funds or as a tax credit paid in advance. States that administer deposits are entitled to payments from the Department of Health and Human Services for population health initiatives.

States with an HSA deposit system must offer a health insurance plan that is continually available for enrollment and penalize residents who have a break in coverage.

This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to disregard assets in an HSA for purposes of determining Medicaid eligibility and benefits except for long-term care services.

This bill amends SSAct title XVIII (Medicare) to require participating hospitals to limit costs to individuals for uncovered emergency medical care.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the requirement that an individual have a high deductible health plan to be eligible for the tax benefits of an HSA.

HSAs can be used to pay premiums for health insurance that meets specified requirements.

HSA tax benefits only apply to payments for health care for which the provider publishes the price.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-06-17 00:00:00

Tax Free Health Insurance Act of 2015

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an individual taxpayer a deduction from gross income of insurance premiums paid for the health care coverage of the taxpayer and the taxpayer's spouse and dependents. Makes such deduction available to taxpayers who do not otherwise itemize their deductions.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-06-23 00:00:00

Planning Actively for Cancer Treatment (PACT) Act of 2015

 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of cancer care planning and coordination services.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-06-24 00:00:00

Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2015

 Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for establishment and governance of association health plans (AHPs), which are group health plans whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations, and which meet certain ERISA certification requirements.

Prescribes rules governing AHPs, including requirements relating to certification, sponsors and boards of trustees, participation and coverage, nondiscrimination, contribution rates, notice of voluntary termination, correction actions, and mandatory termination.

Establishes the Association Health Plan Fund to be used to make payments to an insurer to maintain coverage for a plan if there is a reasonable expectation that, without such payments, claims would not be satisfied by reason of termination of coverage.

Requires the Secretary of Labor to establish a Solvency Standards Working Group.

Allows a state to impose a contribution tax on an association health plan that commenced operations in such state after the enactment of this Act.

Preempts any state law that may preclude a health insurance issuer from: (1) offering health insurance coverage in connection with a certified AHP; or (2) offering health insurance coverage of the same policy type to other employers operating in the state that are eligible for coverage under such AHPs, whether or not such other employers are participating employers in such plan.

Subjects to criminal penalties a person who willfully makes false representations with respect to an AHP.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-06-25 00:00:00

Small Business Healthcare Relief Act

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow an employer with fewer than 50 employees that does not offer group health insurance coverage to establish a health reimbursement arrangement. Under the arrangement, funds contributed by an employer are excluded from the employer's taxable income and are used to pay or reimburse employees for medical care expenses, including premiums for individual health insurance coverage or Medicare supplemental insurance.

Such a reimbursement arrangement: (1) must not pay premiums for an employee covered by a family member's coverage, (2) must be offered to all eligible employees on the same terms and may only vary based on the number of individuals covered, and (3) is not required to provide continuation coverage.

Employer contributions to a reimbursement arrangement are not included in an employee's gross income if the employee was covered by the reimbursement arrangement for more than nine months of the year. Employees covered for less than nine months have a percentage of employer contributions included in their gross income, with exceptions.

An employee offered affordable individual health insurance coverage under a reimbursement arrangement is not eligible for a premium assistance tax credit.

Employers must report contributions to a reimbursement arrangement on their employees' W-2.

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to exempt reimbursement arrangements from requirements for health insurance coverage. Insurance offered under a reimbursement arrangement remains subject to the requirements.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-08 00:00:00

Veteran Continuity of Care Act

This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to eliminate the 60-day limit on follow-up health care provided under the veterans choice program.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-07-09 00:00:00

Helping Save Americans' Health Care Choices Act of 2015 

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to health savings accounts (HSAs), to:

 eliminate the requirement that a participant in an HSA be enrolled in a high deductible health care plan; increase the maximum contribution amount to an HSA; permit both spouses in an HSA to make catch-up contributions to the same account; allow the use of HSAs to pay health insurance premiums and long-term care insurance premiums; treat fees paid in advance for the right to receive medical services as a deductible medical expense; permit Medicare recipients to participate in HSAs; repeal the restriction on payments from HSAs for nonprescription drugs; repeal the additional tax on distributions from HSAs and Archer Medical Savings Accounts; and repeal the $2,500 limitation on salary reduction contributions to a health flexible spending arrangement under a cafeteria plan.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-07-14 00:00:00

Medicare Ventricular Assist Device Access Act of 2015

 Directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to revise the Medicare national coverage determination relating to coverage of ventricular assist devices to extend the coverage of such devices under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for individuals approved for heart transplantation to apply also to: (1) individuals undergoing an evaluation to determine candidacy for heart transplantation; and (2) individuals who would be heart transplant candidates, but are not so eligible because of a contraindication that may be favorably modified by the use of a ventricular assist device.

Directs HHS to use specified processes to revise its national coverage determination relating to ventricular assist devices to incorporate the requirements of this Act.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-07-16 00:00:00

Better Enrollment Options Protect Employee Needs Act or the Be Open Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to repeal the requirement that employers with more than 200 full-time employees that offer enrollment in one or more health benefits plans automatically enroll all new full-time employees in one of those plans.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-07-20 00:00:00

Fund Essential Menstruation Products Act of 2015 or the FEM Products Act of 2015

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the tax exclusion for reimbursements from a health flexible spending arrangement to include amounts paid or incurred for feminine hygiene products.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-07-23 00:00:00

Youth Parity Act

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the medical expenses of dependents who have not attained the age of 26 years before the close of the calendar year to be paid from a health savings account.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-27 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Veterans Emergency Treatment Act or the VET Act

(Sec. 1) This bill declares that, if a veteran who is enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care program requests a medical examination or treatment at an emergency department of a VA medical facility, the veteran shall be provided with:

 a medical screening examination to determine whether an emergency medical condition exists; and if an emergency condition exists, stabilizing medical treatment or transfer to another VA or non-VA medical facility. The VA is deemed to have met such requirements if it offers to transfer the veteran to another medical facility, informs the veteran of the transfer's risks and benefits, and the veteran refuses to consent to the transfer.

If a non-stabilized emergency medical condition exists the VA hospital may not transfer the veteran unless:

 the veteran (or individual), after being made aware of the risks, makes a written transfer request; a physician certifies that the medical benefits of a transfer outweigh the risks to the veteran and, in the case of a woman in labor, to the unborn child; if a physician is not present in the emergency department at the time of transfer, a qualified medical person has made such certification after a physician has determined that a transfer's benefit outweighs the risk and a physician subsequently countersigns the qualified medical person's certification; and the transfer is to a medical facility with the necessary treatment capacities. A VA or non-VA medical facility that has specialized capabilities or facilities (such as burn units, shock-trauma units, neonatal intensive care units, or, with respect to rural areas, regional referral centers) shall not refuse to accept a transfer if the facility has the capacity to treat the veteran.

A VA or non-VA medical facility may not delay a medical screening examination or further medical examination and treatment in order to inquire about a veteran's payment method or insurance status.

The VA may not take adverse action against a VA employee because the employee refuses to authorize the transfer of an enrolled veteran with a non-stabilized emergency medical condition or because the employee reports a violation of this bill.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-07-28 00:00:00

Providing Innovative Care for Complex Cases Demonstration Act of 2015

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish a pilot program to demonstrate improvements in patient care and cost savings for the highest-cost Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries through enrollment of such beneficiaries with participating organizations. The program shall be designed to provide comprehensive and integrated care management and services through a network of health care providers to meet the specialized needs of such beneficiaries. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must design the program in such a manner as to preserve the operation of the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

A participating organization must meet the same requirements that apply to a Medicare Advantage (MA) organization. CMS must develop quality performance standards and, using an integrated care model, care management requirements for participating organizations.

For each individual enrolled under the program, CMS shall make a monthly capitated payment to the participating organization as would be made for an individual enrolled in an MA plan (excluding MA prescription drug plans), except that the amount of payment shall: (1) equal 98% of the projected cost under the Medicare FFS program for the highest-cost Medicare FFS beneficiaries; and (2) be adjusted to account for differences in costs among different geographic areas and among high-cost Medicare FFS beneficiaries, including outlier costs.

CMS must report to Congress on the performance of the program within two years of initial enrollment.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Seniors Have Eyes, Ears, and Teeth Act

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to expand Medicare coverage to include eyeglasses, hearing aids, and dental care.
Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Timely Payment for Veterans' Medical Care Act

This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into contracts with an eligible entity to serve as an administrative contractor with respect to the performance of any or all of the following functions relating to providing medical care and hospital services in non-VA facilities:

 determining and making the payments required to be made to a non-VA facility; providing education and outreach to individuals enrolled in the patient enrollment system; providing consultative services to institutions, agencies, and other persons to enable them to maintain necessary fiscal records; communicating to non-VA facilities any information or instructions furnished to the administrative contractor by the VA; and performing functions relating to non-VA facility education, training, and technical assistance. An administrative contractor that performs such payment-related functions shall implement a contractor-wide information security program.

The VA shall use claims payment error rates or similar methodology of administrative contractors in the processing or reviewing of claims in order to give such contractors an incentive to implement effective education and outreach programs for non-VA facilities.