Health Care Improvement Act of 2021
Latest action · Feb 22, 2021 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
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.
- IntroducedFeb 22, 2021
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Health Care Improvement Act of 2021
This bill makes various changes to the health care marketplace, such as expanding premium assistance, encouraging states to expand Medicaid, and establishing a public health insurance option.
First, the bill expands the premium tax credit that provides assistance, based on household income, for the cost of insurance plans purchased through an exchange. The bill also provides funding for state reinsurance payments to health insurance issuers and funding for insurance-related costs for individuals enrolled in plans through individual marketplaces. It also rescinds certain rules and guidance related to short-term, limited duration plans and the state innovation waiver program.
Additionally, the bill begins the seven-year period of federal assistance for states expanding coverage under Medicaid when a state expands coverage and the bill reduces assistance to states that do not expand coverage.
Further, the bill establishes a public health insurance option that is available through individual marketplaces. Providers participating in Medicare or Medicaid also must participate in the public option.
The bill also makes changes with respect to payments for rural health providers and permits small group market plans to be offered across state lines.
The bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate with manufacturers for the prices of prescription drugs offered through Medicare.
Finally, the bill establishes guidelines for employers to provide information about available health coverage and requires the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the employer notification process for the advance payment of premium tax credits.
Cosponsors
Members who signed on, in the order they did.
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 22, 2021Introduced in Senate
- Feb 22, 2021Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Related bills 12
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 245 | SAME Act of 2021 | Related bill | Feb 4, 2021 |
| HR 340 | Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021 | Related bill | Jan 18, 2021 |
| HR 369 | Health Care Affordability Act of 2021 | Related bill | Feb 4, 2021 |
| S 439 | Coronavirus Medicaid Response Act | Related bill | Feb 25, 2021 |
| S 833 | Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2021 | Related bill | Mar 18, 2021 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- American Samoa
- Appropriations
- Cardiovascular and respiratory health
- Caribbean area
- Child health
- Congressional oversight
- Consumer affairs
- Department of the Treasury
- Economic performance and conditions
- Emergency medical services and trauma care
- Employee benefits and pensions
- Government information and archives
- Government studies and investigations
- Government trust funds
- Guam
- Health
- Health care costs and insurance
- Health care coverage and access
- Health information and medical records
- Health programs administration and funding
- Health promotion and preventive care
- Income tax credits
- Infectious and parasitic diseases
- Intergovernmental relations
- Medicaid
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Personnel records
- Poverty and welfare assistance
- Puerto Rico
- Right of privacy
- State and local finance
- State and local government operations
- Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
- Tax treatment of families
- Tax-exempt organizations
- U.S. territories and protectorates
- Unemployment
- User charges and fees
- Virgin Islands
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Feb 22, 2021Introduced in Senate
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.