Thursday, February 24, 2011
Health Insurance Access for Young Workers and College Students Act of 2009
SUMMARY AS OF:
10/21/2009--Introduced.
Health Insurance Access for Young Workers and College Students Act of 2009 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan that treats an individual who is a dependent child of a plan participant or beneficiary as a plan beneficiary to continue to treat the individual as a dependent child through at least the end of the plan year in which the individual turns age 25.
10/21/2009--Introduced.
Health Insurance Access for Young Workers and College Students Act of 2009 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan that treats an individual who is a dependent child of a plan participant or beneficiary as a plan beneficiary to continue to treat the individual as a dependent child through at least the end of the plan year in which the individual turns age 25.
Improved Employee Access to Health Insurance Act of 2009
Improved Employee Access to Health Insurance Act of 2009 - Prohibits any state from establishing a law that prevents an employer from instituting an auto-enrollment process for coverage of a participant or beneficiary under a group health plan, or health insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan, as long as the participant or beneficiary has the option of declining such coverage.
Promoting Health and Preventing Chronic Disease through Prevention and Wellness Programs for Employees, Communities, and Individuals Act of 2009
Promoting Health and Preventing Chronic Disease through Prevention and Wellness Programs for Employees, Communities, and Individuals Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers a 50% tax credit for the costs of providing employees with a qualified prevention and wellness program. Defines "qualified prevention and wellness program" as a program that is certified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and that includes three of the following components: a health awareness component, an employee engagement component, a behavioral change component, or a supportive environment component. Terminates such credit after 2017.
Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to institute an outreach program to inform businesses about the availability of the prevention and wellness program tax credit.
Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to require the HHS Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to plan and implement prevention and wellness programs that promote health and wellness and prevent chronic diseases.
Requires the HHS Secretary to encourage states to work with insurance companies on ways to promote and incentivize the participation of individuals and families in prevention and wellness programs.
Amends PHSA and Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to set forth conditions under which group health plans may establish premium discounts or rebates for modifying copayments or deductibles for participation in a wellness program.
Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to institute an outreach program to inform businesses about the availability of the prevention and wellness program tax credit.
Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to require the HHS Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to plan and implement prevention and wellness programs that promote health and wellness and prevent chronic diseases.
Requires the HHS Secretary to encourage states to work with insurance companies on ways to promote and incentivize the participation of individuals and families in prevention and wellness programs.
Amends PHSA and Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to set forth conditions under which group health plans may establish premium discounts or rebates for modifying copayments or deductibles for participation in a wellness program.
Sam Johnson re-introduces Association Health Plans
Washington, May 21, 2009 -
Today U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) re-introduced legislation to increase the insured through the creation of Association Health Plans (AHPs). “First and foremost, we need to make health care more affordable and accessible. That is why my goal is to get every American insured. Nearly eight in ten Americans in working families lack health insurance. In fact, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents among all employed or self-employed adults -- 27%. Enacting Association Health Plans is the best way to increase the number of insured Americans,” said Johnson.
Association Health Plans allow small businesses to band together through associations and purchase quality health care for workers and their families at a lower cost. The initiative would increase small businesses’ bargaining power with insurance providers, give them freedom from costly state-mandated benefit packages while keeping important consumer protections in place, and lower their overhead administrative costs by as much as 30 percent – these benefits that many large corporations and many labor unions already enjoy because of their larger economies of scale.
“For many small-business owners, affordable health insurance through Association Health Plans is a matter of fairness. Fortune 500 companies have excellent access to affordable quality health insurance. Labor unions have excellent access to affordable quality health insurance. Small businesses should have that same access to affordable, quality health insurance,” said Johnson.
Johnson represents Collin and Dallas Counties
Gingrey introduces Medical Liability Reform legislation
Gingrey introduces Medical Liability Reform legislation Bipartisan bill will ensure physicians are in our communities when we need them
| ||||
Washington - U.S. Congressman Phil Gingrey, M.D. (R-GA) today introduced the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act, legislation to reduce frivolous medical lawsuits that are raising the cost of healthcare and driving many physicians out of business. This bipartisan bill would abolish the financial incentives for filing expansive lawsuits, while providing a fair and timely reparations process for those who have been wronged.
“As a practicing OB-GYN for nearly 30 years, I saw skyrocketing malpractice insurance rates force good doctors to hang up their stethoscopes for good,” said Gingrey. “Already, brain trauma patients are suffering as emergency rooms scramble to find on-call specialists. Women are forced to cross state lines just to deliver a baby. Rural communities are left without hospitals. This shouldn’t be happening in America, home to the best physicians and healthcare technology in the world.”
“Today’s medical tort system is designed for lawyers, not patients,” Gingrey continued. “Average awards in medical malpractice cases have risen 76% in recent years. This drives doctors to practice defensive medicine, adding $126 billion a year to our national healthcare costs. By reforming our medical liability system, patients can still recover full economic damages, such as medical bills and lost income – after all, those who have been wronged deserve fair compensation. But my legislation would put reasonable limits on run-away non-economic damages, and even maximize patient awards by ensuring the bulk of a patient’s recovery is not misdirected to an attorney. Patients across America are depending on Congress to pass the HEALTH Act.”
The HEALTH Act:
-- Limits the amount of non-economic damages, or “pain and suffering” awards, to $250,000.
-- Will not permit punitive damages unless an actual economic judgment is rendered, and then limits the amount to no greater than twice the economic damages.
-- Maximizes patients’ awards by allowing courts to ensure an unjust portion of the patient’s recovery is not misdirected to an attorney.
-- Allows patients to recover the full cost of economic damages, such as medical bills and lost income.
The HEALTH Act currently has 57 co-sponsors.
“As a practicing OB-GYN for nearly 30 years, I saw skyrocketing malpractice insurance rates force good doctors to hang up their stethoscopes for good,” said Gingrey. “Already, brain trauma patients are suffering as emergency rooms scramble to find on-call specialists. Women are forced to cross state lines just to deliver a baby. Rural communities are left without hospitals. This shouldn’t be happening in America, home to the best physicians and healthcare technology in the world.”
“Today’s medical tort system is designed for lawyers, not patients,” Gingrey continued. “Average awards in medical malpractice cases have risen 76% in recent years. This drives doctors to practice defensive medicine, adding $126 billion a year to our national healthcare costs. By reforming our medical liability system, patients can still recover full economic damages, such as medical bills and lost income – after all, those who have been wronged deserve fair compensation. But my legislation would put reasonable limits on run-away non-economic damages, and even maximize patient awards by ensuring the bulk of a patient’s recovery is not misdirected to an attorney. Patients across America are depending on Congress to pass the HEALTH Act.”
The HEALTH Act:
-- Limits the amount of non-economic damages, or “pain and suffering” awards, to $250,000.
-- Will not permit punitive damages unless an actual economic judgment is rendered, and then limits the amount to no greater than twice the economic damages.
-- Maximizes patients’ awards by allowing courts to ensure an unjust portion of the patient’s recovery is not misdirected to an attorney.
-- Allows patients to recover the full cost of economic damages, such as medical bills and lost income.
The HEALTH Act currently has 57 co-sponsors.
A Patient-Centered Solution
RSC Chairman Tom Price has introduced H.R. 3400, the Empowering Patients First Act. This is another positive solution from the Republican Study Committee that grants access to affordable, quality health care for all Americans, and is centered around the patient. By increasing patients’ control over their health decisions, we will make coverage more affordable, accessible and responsive, while offering more choices and the highest-quality care.
This solution is centered around four main principles:
#1: Access to Coverage for All Americans
This solution is centered around four main principles:
#1: Access to Coverage for All Americans
- The Empowering Patients First Act makes the purchase of health care financially feasible for all Americans, covers pre-existing conditions, protects employer-sponsored insurance, and shines light on existing health care plans.
- This legislation grants greater choice and portability to the patient, and also gives employers more flexibility in the benefits offered. It also expands the individual market by creating several pooling mechanisms.
- Physicians know the best care for their patient. That's why this legislation establishes doctor-led quality measures, ensuring that you get the quality care you need. It also reimburses physicians to ensure the stability of your care, and encourages healthier lifestyles by allowing employers to offer discounts for healthy habits through wellness and prevention programs.
- A key concern in positive reform is reining in out-of control costs. This legislation does this by reforming the medical liability system. Also, the cost of the plan is completely offset through decreasing defensive medicine, savings from health care efficiencies, sifting out waste, fraud and abuse, plus an annual one-percent non defense discretionary spending step down.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)