zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
American Health Security Act of 2015

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives concerning recognition of health care as a human right.

Establishes the State-Based American Health Security Program to provide every U.S. resident who is a U.S. citizen, national, or lawful resident alien with health care services. Requires each participating state to establish a state health security program.

Eliminates benefits under: (1) titles XVIII (Medicare), XIX (Medicaid), and XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act; (2) the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; and (3) TRICARE.

Repeals requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) related to health insurance coverage, including requirements concerning state health insurance exchanges.

Requires each state health security program to prohibit the sale of health insurance in that state that duplicates benefits provided under the program.

Establishes the American Health Security Standards Board to: (1) develop policies, procedures, guidelines and requirements to carry out this Act; (2) establish uniform reporting requirements and quality performance standards; (3) provide for an American Health Security Advisory Council and an Advisory Committee on Health Professional Education; and (4) establish a national health security budget specifying the total federal and state expenditures to be made for covered health care services.

Establishes the American Health Security Quality Council to: (1) review and evaluate practice guidelines, standards of quality, performance measures, and medical review criteria; and (2) develop minimum competence criteria.

Establishes the Office of Primary Care and Prevention Research within the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health.

Creates the American Health Security Trust Fund and appropriates to it specified tax liabilities and current health program receipts, including premium assistance credit amounts under PPACA.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose on individuals: (1) a health care income tax, and (2) an income tax surcharge on amounts of modified adjusted gross income exceeding $1 million. Imposes an excise tax on securities transactions and allows an income tax credit for such taxes.

Date: 2015-03-02
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Fair Access to Health Care Act of 2015

 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the health care insurance premium assistance tax credit, to adjust by a specified percentage the poverty line cap used to determine the eligibility of low-income taxpayers whose principal residence is located in a high cost area for such credit. The bill defines "specified percentage" as the product of 400% (the current poverty line cap) and the Supplemental Poverty Measure for high cost areas as determined by the Bureau of the Census.

Date: 2015-03-06
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Taxation
Women Veterans Access to Quality Care Act of 2015

Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) establish standards to ensure that all VA medical facilities have the structural characteristics necessary to adequately meet the gender-specific health care needs of veterans at such facilities, including privacy, safety, and dignity; (2) integrate such standards into its prioritization methodology with respect to requests for funding major medical facility projects and major medical facility leases; and (3) report on such standards, including regarding the facilities that fail to meet such standards and the costs of projects and leases required to meet them.

Requires the VA to: (1) use health outcomes for women veterans furnished health care by the the VA in evaluating the performance of VA medical center directors, (2) publish on its website information on such performance and on health outcomes for women veterans for each VA medical facility, (3) ensure that every VA medical center has a full-time obstetrician or gynecologist, and (4) carry out a pilot program to increase the number of residency program positions and graduate medical education positions for obstetricians and gynecologists at VA medical facilities in not less than three Veterans Integrated Service Networks.

Directs the VA to develop procedures to share information that includes military service and separation data, personal email addresses and telephone numbers, and mailing addresses of veterans with state veterans agencies in electronic format as a means of facilitating the furnishing of assistance and benefits to such veterans. Allows a veteran to elect to prevent their information from being shared.

Directs the Government Accountability Office to carry out an examination of whether VA medical centers are able to meet the health care needs of women veterans.

Date: 2015-03-13
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Retirement Health Savings Act of 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income, for income tax purposes, distributions from certain tax-exempt retirement plans to a heath savings account in which an individual who is covered by a high deductible health care plan is participating (qualified HSA funding distribution). The bill also exempts such distributions from the 10% penalty for premature retirement plan distributions.

Date: 2015-03-19
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Taxation
Family Health Care Flexibility Act

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal provisions added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that: (1) restrict payments from health savings accounts, Archer medical savings accounts, and health flexible spending and reimbursement arrangements for medications to prescription drugs and insulin only (thus allowing payments for over-the-counter medications); and (2) impose a $2,500 limitation on salary reduction contributions to a health flexible spending arrangement under a cafeteria plan.

Date: 2015-03-23
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Taxation
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on September 28, 2015. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and Public Health Service Act to include employers with 51 to 100 employees as large employers for purposes of health insurance markets. States have the option to treat these employers as small employers. Currently under PPACA, employers with 51 to 100 employees are small employers, but before January 1, 2016, states have the option to treat them as large employers. (Under PPACA, health insurance offered in the small group market must meet certain requirements that do not apply to the large group market, including the requirement to cover the essential health benefits.)

Funds are made available to the Medicare Improvement Fund for services provided during and after FY2020.

Date: 2015-03-25
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Telehealth Enhancement Act of 2015

 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in order to provide a positive incentive for certain hospitals to lower their excess readmission ratios for inpatient services, to make an additional payment to a hospital in such proportion that provides for a sharing of the savings from better-than-expected performance between the hospital and the Medicare program.

Authorizes the Secretary, in the case of a state that has amended its Medicaid plan to provide coordinated care through a health home for individuals with chronic conditions, to contract with the state medical assistance agency to serve eligible individuals with chronic conditions who select a designated provider, a team of health care professionals operating with such a provider, or a health team as the individual's health home.

Authorizes the Secretary to contract with a national or multi-state regional center of excellence with a network of affiliated local providers to provide through one or more medical homes for targeted, accessible, continuous, and coordinated care to individuals under Medicare and Medicaid with a long-term illness or medical condition that requires regular medical treatment, advising, and monitoring.

Authorizes an Accountable Care Organization to include coverage of telehealth and remote patient monitoring services as supplemental health care benefits to the same extent as a Medicare Advantage plan is permitted to provide such coverage of such services as supplemental health care.

Recognizes telehealth services and remote patient monitoring in the national pilot program on payment bundling.

Includes among originating sites (at which an eligible telehealth individual is located at the time a service is furnished via a telecommunications system), but without receiving payment of a facility fee, any critical access hospitals, sole community hospitals, home telehealth sites, as well as specified others.

Amends SSAct title XIX (Medicaid) to give states the option to provide coordinated care for enrollees with high-risk pregnancies and births.

Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to specify additional health care providers to which universal telecommunications service support must be provided.

Requires Federal Communications Commission rules for enhancing health care provider access to advanced telecommunications and information services to disregard provider location.

Date: 2015-04-28
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Amends title XI of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, as a condition of approval of a demonstration project undertaken to promote the objectives of SSAct title XIX (Medicaid) in a state, to require that the project be budget neutral.

Date: 2015-04-29
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Special Inspector General for Monitoring the ACA Act of 2015 or the SIGMA Act of 2015

Establishes the Office of the Special Inspector General for Monitoring the Affordable Care Act to conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits and investigations of the implementation and administration of programs and activities established under, and payment system changes made by, the Affordable Care Act (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010). Requires the Special Inspector General to be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Requires the Special Inspector General to appoint an Assistant Inspector General for Auditing and an Assistant Inspector General for Investigations.

Places the Special Inspector General under the supervision of the Department of Health and Human Services, but prohibits federal agencies involved in implementing or administering the Affordable Care Act from preventing or prohibiting the Special Inspector General from initiating, carrying out, or completing any audit or investigation.

Date: 2015-05-18
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Veterans E-Health & Telemedicine Support Act of 2015 or VETS Act of 2015

Allows a health care professional who is authorized to provide health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs and who is a licensed, nationally registered, or certified professional to practice at any location in any state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. commonwealth, territory, or possession, regardless of where the professional or patient is located, if the professional is using telemedicine to provide treatment. Allows such treatment regardless of whether such professional or patient is located in a facility owned by the federal government.

Date: 2015-05-21
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
American Health Care Reform Act of 2015

This bill repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective January 1, 2016. Provisions amended by repealed provisions are restored.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income tax standard deduction for health insurance.

Provisions regarding health savings accounts (HSAs) are revised, including to raise contribution limits and to expand the products and services that may be paid for using an HSA.

Group health plans may vary premiums and cost-sharing based on participation in a wellness program.

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide grants to states for high risk health insurance pools.

Individual health insurance coverage is governed by the laws of the state designated by the health insurance issuer.

This bill amends title XI (General Provisions) of the Social Security Act to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to publish Medicare claims and payment data.

This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for association health plans, which are group health plans sponsored by certain business associations.

Veterans with certain service-related disabilities or who have been awarded a medal of honor must be provided access to medical services though specified entities other than the Department of Veterans Affairs.

HHS must publish clinical practice guidelines. Independent medical review panels must review health care lawsuits in which the defendant alleges adherence to clinical practice guidelines.

Federal courts have jurisdiction over health care lawsuits.

This bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to revise non-security discretionary spending limits.

Date: 2015-06-04
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act 

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude services rendered by bona-fide volunteers providing firefighting and prevention services, emergency medical services, or ambulance services to a state or local government or a tax-exempt charitable organization from the category of services usually rendered by an employee of an applicable large employer subject to the mandate to provide minimum essential health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), thus exempting such employers from PPACA requirements with respect to such volunteers.

The bill defines "bona fide volunteer" as an employee of any government entity and any tax-exempt charitable organization whose only compensation is in the form of: (1) reimbursement for (or reasonable allowance for) reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of volunteer services, or (2) reasonable benefits (including length-of-service awards) and nominal fees customarily paid by similar entities for the services of volunteers.

Date: 2015-06-04
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Taxation
Prevention of Bureaucratic Workarounds Act

This bill prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from entering into a contract with a state or awarding assistance to a state to provide the state with technology from the federal health insurance exchange.

Date: 2015-06-09
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
No Subsidies Without Verification Act of 2015

This bill disallows the health plan premium assistance tax credit or cost-sharing reduction under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act before an individual's eligibility and the accurate amount of the credit or reduction is verified. Verification requires a review of the information provided by an applicant and resolution of any inconsistency between the information and the records of the Departments of the Treasury or Homeland Security or the Social Security Administration.

Individuals are exempt from the penalty for not maintaining minimum essential coverage for any month for which a premium tax credit is being claimed and that begins before verification is completed.

The premium tax credit and reduced cost-sharing are suspended for an individual for whom a subsidy was allowed before enactment of this Act until the individual's eligibility is verified. A special enrollment period is provided for an individual who terminated enrollment in a qualified plan during the period of suspension.

Date: 2015-06-10
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
21st Century Care for Military and Veterans Act

Permits the use of a telecommunications system to provide an item or service to current and former members of the uniformed services and their dependents under the TRICARE plan of health care benefits administered by the Department of Defense and to veterans receiving health care benefits under plans administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Date: 2015-06-10
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Premium Reduction and Insurance Market Reform Act of 2015

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to revise requirements for private health insurance plans in a state with a federal health insurance exchange. Specifically, it exempts health plans from the requirement to cover preventive services without cost-sharing and the requirement to comply with annual out-of-pocket spending limits. It also exempts health plans in the individual and small group markets from the requirement to cover essential health benefits and the requirement to limit age-related premium variation.

Date: 2015-06-18
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Free Market Healthcare Restoration and Coverage Act of 2015

This bill repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective May 31, 2017. Provisions amended by the repealed provisions are restored.

PPACA and the Internal Revenue Code are amended to repeal the requirements for individuals to maintain minimum essential coverage and for large employers to pay penalties if a full-time employee: (1) must wait longer than 60 days to enroll in an employer-sponsored health plan, or (2) receives a premium assistance tax credit or reduced cost-sharing. Coverage reporting requirements for providers and large employers are also repealed. These amendments are applied as if the repealed provisions had not been enacted.

Individuals enrolled in a health plan purchased through the federal health insurance exchange at the time of enactment of this Act who are ineligible for a premium assistance tax credit solely as a result of a determination by the Supreme Court in King v. Burwell are eligible for the tax credit. This applies to coverage months beginning after December 2013.

Group health coverage in which an individual was enrolled for any period after enactment of PPACA (March 23, 2010) is a grandfathered health plan under PPACA and is exempt from some coverage requirements.

Essential health benefits are defined by states. This amendment takes effect as if included in PPACA.

The budgetary effects of this bill must not be entered on the PAYGO scorecards maintained by the Office of Management and Budget.

Date: 2015-06-18
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Local and Municipal Health Care Choice Act of 2015

Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize a local government in a secondary state to provide group health coverage to its officers, employees, or retirees (and their dependents) through a local government employee health benefits pool or program authorized under the laws of a primary state.

Defines: (1) "primary state" to mean the state designated by a local government employee health benefits pool or program as the state whose covered laws shall govern the pool or program in the issuance of group health coverage, and (2) "secondary state" to mean any state that is not the primary state.

Makes a local government employee health benefits pool or program eligible to offer group health coverage to officials, employees, and retirees (and their dependents) of a local government located in a secondary state through an interlocal agreement with such local government, or as approved by an applicable state authority in such secondary state, unless objections are made within a specified time frame by the municipal league or association or county association located in the secondary state.

Requires the covered laws of the primary state to apply to group health coverage offered by a local government employee health benefits pool or program in the primary state and in any secondary state, but only if the coverage and the pool or program comply with conditions set forth in this Act with respect to the offering of coverage in any secondary state.

Defines "covered laws" as the laws, rules, regulations, agreements, and orders pertaining to:

 group health coverage issued by a local government employee health benefits pool or program; the offer, sale, rating, renewal, and issuance of group health coverage to local government officials, employees, and retirees or their dependents; the management, operations, and investment activities of such a pool or program; loss control and claims administration for such a pool or program with respect to liability for which the pool or program provides coverage; or the payment of applicable premium and other taxes that are levied on health insurance issuers, brokers, or policyholders under the laws of the state. Excludes from such term any law, rule, regulation, agreement, or order governing the use of care or cost management techniques.

Exempts a local government pool or program that offers group health coverage in a secondary state to the officers, employees, or retirees of a local government located in such secondary state from any covered laws of the secondary state. Permits a secondary state to require such a pool or program to register with an applicable authority in such state and to comply with any state law regarding fraud and abuse or unfair claims settlement practices.

Date: 2015-06-24
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Small Business Job Protection Act of 2015

Amends the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to redefine "applicable large employer," for purposes of the mandate requiring employers to provide health insurance for their employees, to mean an employer with at least 100 full-time employees (currently, 50).

Date: 2015-06-24
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
SCOTUScare Act of 2015

This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to limit the health plans the federal government may make available to Supreme Court Justices and Supreme Court employees to those that are created under PPACA or offered through a health insurance exchange.

Date: 2015-06-25
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Veterans Health Care Freedom Act

This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to make the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Choice Program permanent.

Eligibility requirements under the Program are revised.

The VA shall submit an annual report to Congress that includes the following: (1) any increase or decrease in the number of veterans seeking hospital care or medical services at each VA medical facility, and (2) facility budget recommendations based upon such increase or decrease.

Date: 2015-07-23
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Medicare Common Access Card Act of 2015

This bill establishes a pilot program under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for the purpose of utilizing smart card technology for Medicare beneficiary identification cards. A “smart card” is a secure, electronic, machine readable, fraud-resistant, tamper-resistant card that includes an embedded integrated circuit chip with a secure micro-controller.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must conduct the pilot program in at least three areas in which there is a high risk for waste and abuse, and must give priority in the provision of cards to Medicare beneficiaries who self-identify as individuals whose personal identity and health information has previously been compromised.

In designing the program, CMS must include, among other provisions: (1) regular monitoring and review of Medicare billings and records in order to identify and address inaccurate changes and instances of waste, fraud, or abuse; and (2) reporting mechanisms for measuring Medicare cost savings attributable to the pilot program.

CMS must report to Congress on issues and recommendations related the pilot program within two years of program implementation.

Date: 2015-07-27
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Save Rural Hospitals Act

This bill amends titles XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to increase payments to, and modify various requirements regarding, rural health care providers under the Medicare program. Among other provisions, the bill: (1) reverses cuts to reimbursement of bad debt for critical access hospitals (CAHs) and rural hospitals, as well as alters certain requirements with regard to CAHs; (2) extends payment levels for low-volume hospitals and Medicare-dependent hospitals (MDHs); (3) reinstates revised diagnosis-related group payments to MDHs and sole community hospitals (SCHs), as well as reinstates hold harmless treatment for hospital outpatient services for SCHs; (4) delays the application of penalties for a rural hospital's failure to become a meaningful electronic health record user; (5) makes permanent increased Medicare payments for ground ambulance services in rural areas; (6) alters certain supervision requirements for therapeutic hospital outpatient services; (7) modifies requirements related to the use and payment of recovery audit contractors; and (8) establishes a program under which rural hospitals meeting specified requirements may be eligible for enhanced payment for qualified outpatient services.

In addition, the bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to eliminate Medicare sequestration for rural hospitals.

The bill also amends title XIX (Medicaid) of SSAct to extend Medicaid primary care payments.

With respect to both the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the bill eliminates disproportionate share hospital payment reductions for rural hospitals.

The bill also amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize several competitive grant programs to assist eligible rural hospitals.

Date: 2015-07-27
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
State-Based Universal Health Care Act of 2015

This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to allow states to apply for waivers to health benefits coverage requirements in order to implement a universal health care plan. The state universal health care plan must be at least as comprehensive and affordable as coverage under federal health programs and cover substantially all state residents.

States may apply to waive requirements for:

 health insurance exchanges, plans sold on exchanges, and the program to support nonprofit insurance issuers; reduced cost-sharing for individuals meeting income criteria; health insurance premium subsidies, employer shared responsibility payments, and minimum essential coverage; health benefits under titles XI (General Provisions), XVIII (Medicare), XIX (Medicaid), and XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act; federal employee health benefits; health benefits for members of the military; and health insurance under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must pay a state that assumes responsibility for health coverage currently provided under a federal health program the amount that would otherwise have been spent under the program.

HHS, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Departments of the Treasury, Defense, and Labor must coordinate and consolidate this state waiver process with existing waiver processes to ensure consistency and avoid duplication of effort.

Date: 2015-07-28
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
This bill amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require the Congressional Budget Office, upon receiving a request from Congress, to determine if legislation would reduce spending outside of the 10-year budget window through the use of preventive health and preventive health services.

Date: 2015-10-01
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Economics and public finance
Helping our Rural Veterans Receive Health Care Act

This bill amends the Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 to make permanent and expand the pilot program to provide, through qualifying non-VA health care providers, VA-authorized hospital care or medical, rehabilitative, or preventive health services to veterans in highly rural areas.

Date: 2015-10-08
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Veterans Health and Accountability Act

This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to revise the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Choice Program eligibility requirements.

The VA may: (1) remove or demote a VA employee based on performance or misconduct, and (2) also remove an individual from the civil service or demote the individual through a reduction in grade or annual pay rate.

An employee may appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board within seven days of removal or demotion.

Between the date on which an individual appeals a removal from the civil service and the date on which the administrative judge issues a final decision, the individual may not receive any pay, awards, bonuses, or other specified benefits.

A demoted individual: (1) shall be paid at the demoted rate as of the date of demotion, (2) may not be placed on administrative leave or any other category of paid leave while an appeal is ongoing, and (3) may only receive pay and other benefits if the individual reports for duty.

The VA may not remove or demote an employee during the pendency of a whistle blower complaint made to the VA Office of Special Counsel or to the central whistle blower office until a final decision has been made.

An individual's appointment to a permanent position within the competitive service or as a career appointee within the Senior Executive Service (SES) shall become final after an 18-month probationary period, which the VA may extend. Final appointment shall be made by the employee's supervisor.

An additional method is established for filing whistle blower complaints in which a VA employee may file such complaints with his or her immediate and next-level supervisors, and ultimately with the VA after having properly filed a complaint at each supervisory level.

The VA may not exempt any employee from such whistle blower coverage.

The VA shall carry out specified adverse actions against a supervisor who commits a prohibited personnel action relating to a whistle blower complaint.

 A supervisor who commits a prohibited personnel action shall not be paid any award or bonus for a one-year period, and any award or bonus paid during that period shall be recouped.

The performance appraisal system for SES employees is revised, including by providing for five annual performance level ratings for SES employees as follows: outstanding, exceeds fully successful, fully successful, minimally satisfactory, and unsatisfactory.

The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 is amended to reduce to $300 million the aggregate amount of awards and bonuses that may be paid by the VA in each of FY2016-FY2018.

Date: 2015-11-03
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
This bill establishes in the Veterans Health Administration an Office of Health Care Quality to oversee the implementation and dissemination of best practices, quality improvements, corrective actions, and Inspector General recommendations across all Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities.

The Office shall be headed by a Director who shall be an expert in health care quality or administration.

Date: 2015-11-05
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Telehealth Innovation and Improvement Act of 2015

This bill amends titles XI (General Provisions) and XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish: (1) a telehealth service model, and (2) Medicare payment rules with respect to certain services tested under the model.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shall test Medicare coverage of expanded telehealth services, as defined by the bill, in conjunction with existing models that test the use of accountable care organizations, bundled payments, and other coordinated care models under Medicare. CMS must: (1) establish a methodology for determining the amounts of payment for such services, and (2) provide for evaluations of the service model by an independent entity.

CMS shall expand the application of a service tested under the model if: (1) the required evaluation demonstrates that the service either reduced Medicare spending without reducing the quality of care or improved the quality of care without increasing spending, and (2) the Chief Actuary of CMS certifies that such expansion would reduce net program spending. A service that meets these requirements is defined by the bill as a "certified enhanced telehealth service."

Medicare payment for a certified enhanced telehealth service shall equal 80% of the lesser of: (1) the actual charge for the service, or (2) the amount determined using the payment methodology established under the test model.

CMS shall pay for such services without regard to a Medicare beneficiary's location or area of residence.

Date: 2015-12-02
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Transparency and Accountability of Failed Exchanges Act

This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to require the Department of Health and Human Services, for certain states awarded a grant to establish a health insurance exchange, to report on how awarded amounts were used and rescind unobligated amounts. This applies to any state that terminates operation of its exchange or transfers operation to another entity. Such a state must provide to the General Services Administration any property acquired through the grant and refer matters involving fraud, waste, and abuse of funds issued pursuant to PPACA to the Department of Justice. Funds rescinded must be retained for federal budget deficit reduction.

Date: 2015-12-16
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Synchronization & Nonadherence Correction (SYNC) Act of 2015

This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to research and test methods for improving medication adherence. "Medication adherence" refers to the taking of medications according to their prescribed dosage, time, frequency, and direction.

Research activities shall include the development of annual statistics related to medication adherence for patients with chronic diseases and mental health conditions treated under Medicare, Medicaid, and the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program.

HHS shall implement innovative health care delivery models to test: (1) the efficacy of "synchronization," which refers to the coordination of medication refills such that a patient's medications are refilled according to the same schedule; and (2) 90-day fills at retail pharmacies for the first prescription of maintenance drugs that treat chronic diseases and mental health conditions.

Date: 2015-12-18
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
State Health Flexibility Act of 2016

This bill amends the Social Security Act (SSAct) to replace federal requirements for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) with health care block grants to states. A state may use block grant funds to: (1) provide health care services to indigent individuals; (2) fund risk adjustment mechanisms for the purpose of subsidizing the cost of private health insurance for the high-risk population; and (3) support other welfare-related programs, as specified by the bill.

In addition to repealing titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (CHIP) of the SSAct, the bill repeals: (1) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and (2) the Health Care and Educational Reconciliation Act of 2010.

With respect to an alien not lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States, a state may use grant funds to provide only emergency health care services, as specified by the bill.

A state shall contract with an approved auditing entity for annual audits of its grant fund expenditures.

The bill limits the authority of any federal agency to supervise a state's use of funds received under the block grant program.

Date: 2016-01-11
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act or the CONNECT for Health Act

This bill amends titles XI (General Provisions) and XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to expand and modify the use of telehealth and remote patient monitoring services under Medicare.

The bill establishes a telehealth and remote patient monitoring services "bridge" demonstration waiver program, through which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shall waive certain limitations as a condition of Medicare payment to eligible providers of telehealth services.

CMS shall also waive such limitations as a condition of Medicare payment for telehealth services with respect to providers participating in qualifying alternative payment models. 

With regard to individuals with certain chronic conditions, telehealth services shall be covered under Medicare as medical and other health services, rural health clinic services, or federally qualified health center (FQHC) services, as the case may be.

A Medicare beneficiary determined to have end stage renal disease (ESRD) and receiving home dialysis may elect to receive certain required monthly ESRD-related visits via telehealth if the beneficiary receives an in-person examination at least once every three months.

For purposes of Medicare payment for telehealth services: (1) a rural health clinic or FQHC may serve as a distant site whose clinician furnishes such services, and (2) certain requirements for originating sites shall not apply with respect to specified stroke-related services or to specified Native American health service facilities.

A Medicare Advantage (MA) plan may use telehealth services to provide benefits under the original Medicare fee-for-service program option. Specified limitations are waived with regard to such services furnished under an MA plan.

Date: 2016-02-03
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2016

This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) to every state that expands Medicaid coverage for individuals who are newly eligible under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, regardless of when such expansion takes place.

Under current law, the enhanced FMAP is equivalent to 100% in 2014 through 2016, 95% in 2017, 94% in 2018, 93% in 2019, and 90% thereafter. The bill retains this enhanced FMAP, but bases it on a term of years rather than on specific dates.

The bill applies retroactively.

Date: 2016-02-23
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Medicaid Expansion Parity Act of 2016

This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) to every state that expands Medicaid coverage for individuals who are newly eligible under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, regardless of when such expansion takes place.

Under current law, the enhanced FMAP is equivalent to 100% in 2014 through 2016, 95% in 2017, 94% in 2018, 93% in 2019, and 90% thereafter. The bill retains this enhanced FMAP, but bases it on a term of years rather than on specific dates.

The bill applies retroactively.

Date: 2016-02-25
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2016

This bill sets conditions for lawsuits arising from health care liability claims regarding health care goods or services or any medical product affecting interstate commerce.Additionally, the bill sets a statute of limitations of three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one-year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions. The bill revises other provisions related to health care lawsuits including: (1)limiting noneconomic damages, (2)mandating joint and several liability, (3)limiting attorney contingency fees, (4) limiting punitive damages, and (5)denying punitive damages in the case of products approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Date: 2016-03-17
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) to every state that expands Medicaid coverage for individuals who are newly eligible under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, regardless of when such expansion takes place.

Under current law, the enhanced FMAP is equivalent to 100% in 2014 through 2016, 95% in 2017, 94% in 2018, 93% in 2019, and 90% thereafter. The bill retains this enhanced FMAP, but bases it on a term of years rather than on specific dates.

The bill applies retroactively.

Date: 2016-03-17
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
This bill amends the Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 to extend through August 7, 2021, the pilot program under which the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides covered health services in highly rural areas to covered veterans through qualifying non-VA health care providers.

Date: 2016-04-12
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on May 10, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Examining Opioid Treatment Infrastructure Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on inpatient and outpatient treatment capacity, availability, and needs, including detoxification programs, clinical stabilization programs, transitional residential support services, rehabilitation programs, treatment programs for pregnant women or adolescents, and treatment through Indian health programs. The report must include the barriers to real-time reporting of drug overdoses at the federal, state, and local level and ways to overcome those barriers.

Date: 2016-04-18
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Rural Hospital Enhancement and Long Term Health Act of 2016

This bill revises the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act by increasing the maximum grant amount for hospitals under the community facilities grant program. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may not condition grants on the inability of applicants to finance their projects.

The bill amends the Public Health Service Act by reauthorizing through FY2021 and revising the grant program for state offices of rural health, including by requiring HHS to make the grants, thus removing HHS' discretion to make them.

HHS must report annually to Congress and each state office of rural health on rural hospitals' closures.

Date: 2016-04-29
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to treat ambulance services as reimbursable emergency services if:

 the ambulance request was made because of the sudden onset of a medical condition of such nature that a prudent layperson would have reasonably expected that a delay in seeking immediate medical attention would have been hazardous to the individual or could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in placing the individual in serious jeopardy, and the individual is transported to the closest and most appropriate medical facility capable of treating such emergency medical condition.

Date: 2016-04-29
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
World's Greatest Healthcare Plan Act of 2016

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the requirements for individuals to maintain minimum essential coverage and for large employers to offer affordable coverage to full time employees.

Health insurance is no longer required to cover preventive care at no cost or include the essential health benefits.

Individuals enrolling in health insurance who have not maintained continuous coverage over the previous 12 months are charged an extra 20% on premiums for each consecutive year without coverage, unless the individual is subject to similar state incentives to maintain coverage.

States may enroll uninsured residents in high deductible health plans. Individuals must be permitted to opt-out of this coverage.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must develop a risk adjustment mechanism for health insurance in the individual market.

For residents of a state to qualify for premium subsidies or the health insurance tax credit in this bill, the state must permit health insurance with an annual limit on benefits to be sold on its exchange.

The bill establishes an advanceable, refundable health insurance tax credit for taxpayers enrolled in health coverage.

States may: (1) apply to HHS to use unclaimed health insurance tax credits for indigent health care; and (2) enroll Medicaid-eligible individuals in health insurance that qualifies for the tax credit instead of in Medicaid, at the individual's option.

The bill establishes Roth HSAs (health savings accounts) for paying certain medical expenses and health insurance premiums.

The tax deduction for medical expenses is eliminated.

This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) and title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, including to turn federal Medicaid payments into block grants.

Date: 2016-05-19
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health
Health Expansion Loss Prevention Veterans Act or the HELP Veterans Act

This bill extends transitional assistance management program (TAMP) health care and dental coverage from six months to one year for service members released from active duty.

 An individual who is employed at any time during the final 180 days of such transition period and is eligible for an employer-sponsored health plan shall not be eligible for TAMP coverage.

Date: 2016-05-23
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Health Savings Account Expansion Act of 2016 

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the requirements for health savings accounts (HSAs). The bill modifies the requirements to:

 increase the maximum contribution amounts, permit the use of HSAs to pay health insurance premiums and direct primary care expenses, repeal the restriction on using HSAs for over-the-counter medications, eliminate the requirement that a participant in an HSA be enrolled in a high deductible health care plan, and decrease the additional tax for HSA distributions not used for qualified medical expenses.

Date: 2016-05-25
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Taxation
Mental and Behavioral Health Care Bump Act of 2016

This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to increase the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to 90% with respect to increased state Medicaid program expenditures for mental and behavioral health services. In general, a state's FMAP may range from 50% to 83% under current law.

Date: 2016-05-26
Topic: Health (Health Care Reform)
Subject: Health