S 352 · 117th Congress 2021โ€“2023, ended

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.

  1. IntroducedFeb 22, 2021
  2. Passed SenateNot reached
  3. Passed HouseNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. 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.

No cosponsors are on file for this measure.

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
SenateFinance Committee
Referred Feb 22, 2021

Actions 2

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Feb 22, 2021Introduced in Senate
  2. 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.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 245SAME Act of 2021Related billFeb 4, 2021
HR 340Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021Related billJan 18, 2021
HR 369Health Care Affordability Act of 2021Related billFeb 4, 2021
S 439Coronavirus Medicaid Response ActRelated billFeb 25, 2021
S 833Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2021Related billMar 18, 2021
S 999Save Rural Hospitals Act of 2021Related billMar 25, 2021
HR 1353Coronavirus Medicaid Response ActRelated billFeb 26, 2021
HR 1806ENROLL Act of 2021Related billMar 12, 2021
HR 1874ENROLL Act of 2021Related billMar 16, 2021
HR 1878State Health Care Premium Reduction Act of 2021Related billMar 16, 2021
HR 4066Save Rural Hospitals Act of 2021Related billJun 23, 2021
HR 7774Commonsense Reporting Act of 2022Related billMay 13, 2022

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
A bill to amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to reduce health care costs and expand health care coverage to more Americans.
Short Title(s) as Introduced
Health Care Improvement Act of 2021

Subjects

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

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Feb 22, 2021Introduced in Senate

Support LegiList

This page is free, carries no paywall, and is built and maintained by one person. If the record here is useful to you, a few dollars keeps it going.

Processed by Stripe in a separate window. LegiList never sees card details.

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.