DOC Access Act
Latest action · Jul 31, 2015 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.
- IntroducedJul 29, 2015
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Dental and Optometric Care Access Act or the DOC Access Act
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit group health plans and individual health insurance coverage from setting rates for items and services provided by a doctor of optometry, of dental surgery, or of dental medicine for which the plan or insurer does not pay a substantial amount.
An agreement between a plan or insurer and such a doctor: (1) may only be changed with the doctor's acknowledgement and acceptance, and (2) may not last longer than two years if the agreement is for limited scope dental or vision benefits.
Such a doctor must be allowed to participate in a: (1) plan or coverage without accepting terms for ancillary services or procedures, and (2) provider network without participating in a specific limited scope dental or vision benefit plan.
Plans and insurers may not: (1) directly communicate with an enrolled individual in a manner that interferes with an existing doctor-patient relationship or a state or federal requirement, or (2) restrict such a doctor's choice of laboratories or suppliers.
The bill establishes a private right of action for a person adversely affected by a violation of this Act.Cosponsors 65
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Sep 22, 2015 to Sep 26, 2016.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-NV | Joseph J. Heck | Sep 22, 2015 | |
| R-NC | Patrick T. McHenry | Sep 22, 2015 | |
| R-TX | Pete Olson | Oct 27, 2015 | |
| D-IA | David Loebsack | Oct 28, 2015 | |
| R-GA | Lynn A. Westmoreland | Nov 16, 2015 | |
| R-AZ | Paul A. Gosar | Nov 19, 2015 | |
| R-TX | Brian Babin | Dec 2, 2015 | |
| R-IL | Darin LaHood | Dec 3, 2015 | |
| D-CT | Joe Courtney | Dec 7, 2015 | |
| D-GA | David Scott | Dec 9, 2015 | |
| D-PA | Matt Cartwright | Dec 9, 2015 | |
| R-KY | Ed Whitfield | Dec 11, 2015 | |
| R-GA | Austin Scott | Dec 16, 2015 | |
| R-ID | Michael K. Simpson | Dec 16, 2015 | |
| R-OK | Jim Bridenstine | Jan 6, 2016 | |
| R-GA | Doug Collins | Jan 12, 2016 | |
| R-PA | Bill Shuster | Jan 13, 2016 | |
| D-PA | Brendan F. Boyle | Jan 28, 2016 | |
| R-IL | Rodney Davis | Jan 28, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Susan A. Davis | Feb 9, 2016 | |
| R-PA | Michael G. Fitzpatrick | Feb 10, 2016 | |
| R-ND | Kevin Cramer | Feb 24, 2016 | |
| R-CA | Devin Nunes | Mar 14, 2016 | |
| R-OH | David P. Joyce | Apr 12, 2016 | |
| R-TX | Lamar Smith | Apr 12, 2016 | |
| D-HI | Mark Takai | Apr 15, 2016 | |
| D-MN | Timothy J. Walz | Apr 15, 2016 | |
| D-WI | Mark Pocan | Apr 18, 2016 | |
| D-NE | Brad Ashford | Apr 19, 2016 | |
| R-AL | Mike Rogers | Apr 19, 2016 | |
| R-TX | Pete Sessions | Apr 20, 2016 | |
| D-MS | Bennie G. Thompson | Apr 26, 2016 | |
| R-WI | F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. | Apr 26, 2016 | |
| D-VT | Peter Welch | Apr 26, 2016 | |
| D-PA | Robert A. Brady | Apr 26, 2016 | |
| R-IA | Steve King | Apr 26, 2016 | |
| D-NJ | Albio Sires | Apr 28, 2016 | |
| R-NC | David Rouzer | Apr 28, 2016 | |
| R-GA | Tom Graves | Apr 28, 2016 | |
| D-AZ | Ann Kirkpatrick | May 11, 2016 | |
| D-IL | Bobby L. Rush | May 11, 2016 | |
| R-LA | Charles W. Boustany, Jr. | May 11, 2016 | |
| D-OR | Earl Blumenauer | May 11, 2016 | |
| R-NJ | Frank A. LoBiondo | May 11, 2016 | |
| D-NY | Grace Meng | May 11, 2016 | |
| R-CO | Mike Coffman | May 11, 2016 | |
| R-CO | Scott R. Tipton | May 11, 2016 | |
| R-PA | Tim Murphy | May 17, 2016 | |
| R-NJ | Christopher H. Smith | May 24, 2016 | |
| R-NY | Chris Collins | May 26, 2016 | |
| R-NV | Cresent Hardy | Jun 7, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Julia Brownley | Jun 10, 2016 | |
| R-MI | Mike Bishop | Jun 10, 2016 | |
| R-FL | Ted S. Yoho | Jun 15, 2016 | |
| R-GA | Jody B. Hice | Jun 22, 2016 | |
| D-NM | Michelle Lujan Grisham | Jul 1, 2016 | |
| R-MT | Ryan K. Zinke | Jul 12, 2016 | |
| D-GA | Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. | Jul 13, 2016 | |
| R-SC | Jeff Duncan | Sep 6, 2016 | |
| D-OR | Peter A. DeFazio | Sep 6, 2016 | |
| R-TX | Roger Williams | Sep 6, 2016 | |
| D-MI | Brenda L. Lawrence | Sep 9, 2016 | |
| R-TX | Randy Neugebauer | Sep 21, 2016 | |
| R-OH | Steve Stivers | Sep 21, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Zoe Lofgren | Sep 26, 2016 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Jul 29, 2015 |
| Health Subcommittee | Referred Jul 31, 2015 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 31, 2015Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Jul 29, 2015Introduced in House
- Jul 29, 2015Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 121, July 29, 2015, page H5772.
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to improve health care coverage under vision and dental plans, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Dental and Optometric Care Access Act
- DOC Access Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jul 29, 2015Introduced in House
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; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
