S 24 ISCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

113th CONGRESSCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

1st SessionCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

S. 24CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To lower health premiums and increase choice for small businesses.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

January 22 (legislative day, January 3), 2013CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. PORTMAN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on FinanceCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

A BILLCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To lower health premiums and increase choice for small businesses.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the ‘Small Business Health Relief Act of 2013’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Table of Contents- The table of contents for this Act is as follows:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

TITLE I--MAKING COVERAGE AFFORDABLE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Sec. 101. Protecting American jobs and wages.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 102. Increasing flexibility for small businesses.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 103. Increasing choices for Americans.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 104. Protecting patients from higher premiums.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 105. Ensuring affordable coverage.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

TITLE II--INCREASING CONSUMER CONTROL

Sec. 201. Repeal of the restriction on over-the-counter medicines.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 202. Repeal of the annual cap.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

TITLE III--ALLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO KEEP COVERAGE THEY LIKE

Sec. 301. Allowing individuals to keep the coverage they have if they like it.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

TITLE I--MAKING COVERAGE AFFORDABLE FOR SMALL BUSINESSESCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 101. PROTECTING AMERICAN JOBS AND WAGES.

Sections 1513 and 1514 and subsections (e), (f), and (g) of section 10106 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) and the amendments made by such sections and subsections are repealed and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall be applied and administered as if such provisions and amendments had never been enacted.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 102. INCREASING FLEXIBILITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.

Section 1302(c)(2) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) is repealed.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 103. INCREASING CHOICES FOR AMERICANS.

(a) Qualified Health Plan Coverage Satisfied by High Deductible Health Plan With Health Savings Account- Section 1302(e) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18022(e)) is amended to read as follows:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(e) High Deductible Health Plan With Health Savings Account- A health plan not providing a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum level of coverage shall be treated as meeting the requirements of subsection (d) with respect to any plan year for any enrollee if the plan meets the requirements for a high deductible health plan under section 223(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and such enrollee has established a health savings account (as defined in section 223(d)(1) of such Code) in relation to such plan.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Conforming Amendments-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Subparagraph (C) of section 1312(d)(3) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18032(d)(3)) is amended by striking ‘, except’ and all that follows through ‘1302(e)(2)’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Subparagraph (A) of section 36B(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as added by section 1401(a) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) is amended by striking ‘, except’ and all that follows through ‘such Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Subparagraph (B) of section 1334(c)(1) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18054(c)(1)) is amended by striking ‘and catastrophic coverage’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 104. PROTECTING PATIENTS FROM HIGHER PREMIUMS.

Section 9010 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), as amended by section 10905 of such Act, is repealed.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 105. ENSURING AFFORDABLE COVERAGE.

Section 2701(a)(1)(A)(iii) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300(a)(1)(A)(iii)), as added by section 1201 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), is amended by striking ‘, except’ and all that follows through ‘2707(c))’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

TITLE II--INCREASING CONSUMER CONTROLCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 201. REPEAL OF THE RESTRICTION ON OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICINES.

Section 9003 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) and the amendments made by such section are repealed; and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall be applied as if such section, and amendments, had never been enacted.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 202. REPEAL OF THE ANNUAL CAP.

Sections 9005 and 10902 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) and section 1403 of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-152) and the amendments made by such sections are repealed.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

TITLE III--ALLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO KEEP COVERAGE THEY LIKECommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 301. ALLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO KEEP THE COVERAGE THEY HAVE IF THEY LIKE IT.

(a) In General- Section 1251(a)(2) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18011) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by striking ‘Except as provided in paragraph (3),’ and inserting the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraphs (3) and (4),’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) PROTECTING EMPLOYERS AND CONSUMERS WITH GRANDFATHERED COVERAGE-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) IN GENERAL- A group health plan or health insurance coverage in which an individual is enrolled on or after March 23, 2010, but before any plan year beginning not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this subparagraph, and which is deemed to be a grandfathered health plan under this section, shall continue to be considered a grandfathered health plan with respect to such individual regardless of any modification to the cost-sharing levels, employer contribution rates, or covered benefits under such plan or coverage as otherwise permitted under this Act (and the amendments made by this Act).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) REGULATIONS- The Secretary shall promulgate regulations to clarify the application of clause (i) to a plan or coverage that continues to be a grandfathered health plan pursuant to such clause.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Effective Date; Previously Promulgated Regulations Voided-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by this section shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) PREVIOUSLY PROMULGATED REGULATIONS VOIDED- Any regulations relating to section 1251(a)(2) of such Act promulgated before the date of the enactment of this Act shall have no force or effect.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink