HR 261 · 113th Congress 2013–2015, ended

Public Option Deficit Reduction Act

Fact sheet

Latest action · Jan 18, 2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedJan 15, 2013
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Public Option Deficit Reduction Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to offer through Exchanges a health benefits plan (public health insurance option) that ensures choice, competition, and stability of affordable, high-quality coverage throughout the United States. Declares that the Secretary's primary responsibility is to create a low-cost plan without compromising quality or access to care.

Sets forth provisions related to the establishment and governance of the public health insurance option, including that such plan: (1) may be made available only through Exchanges; (2) must comply with requirements applicable to other health benefits plans offered through such Exchanges, including requirements related to benefits, benefit levels, provider networks, notices, consumer protections, and cost sharing; and (3) must offer bronze, silver, and gold plan levels.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish an office of the ombudsman for the public health insurance option, (2) collect such data as may be required to establish premiums and payment rates, (3) establish geographically adjusted premiums at a level sufficient to fully finance the costs of the health benefits provided and administrative costs related to the operation of the plan, and (4) establish payment rates and provide for greater payment rates for the first three years.

Requires repayment of start-up costs for the public health insurance option.

Authorizes the Secretary to utilize innovative payment mechanisms and policies to determine payments for items and services under the public health insurance option.

Cosponsors 50

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 15, 2013 to Mar 20, 2013, with 44 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-CABarbara LeeOriginalJan 15, 2013
D-NMBen Ray LujánOriginalJan 15, 2013
D-MNBetty McCollumOriginalJan 15, 2013
D-NYBrian HigginsOriginalJan 15, 2013
D-NHCarol Shea-PorterOriginalJan 15, 2013
D-PAChaka FattahOriginalJan 15, 2013
D-NYCharles B. RangelOriginalJan 15, 2013
D-MEChellie PingreeOriginalJan 15, 2013
D-CODiana DeGetteOriginalJan 15, 2013
D-MDDonna F. EdwardsOriginalJan 15, 2013
D-DCEleanor Holmes NortonOriginalJan 15, 2013
D-MDElijah E. CummingsOriginalJan 15, 2013
D-NYEliot L. EngelOriginalJan 15, 2013
D-NJFrank Pallone, Jr.OriginalJan 15, 2013
D-CAGeorge MillerOriginalJan 15, 2013

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jan 18, 2013Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  2. Jan 15, 2013Introduced in House
  3. Jan 15, 2013Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jan 15, 2013Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.