Bill Summary & Status for the 106th Congress

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H.R.5628
Sponsor: Rep Shadegg, John B. (introduced 11/3/2000)
Latest Major Action: 11/8/2000 Referred to House subcommittee
Title: To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a patients' bill of rights, patient access to information, and accountability of health plans, and to expand access to health care coverage through tax incentives.
Jump to: Titles, Status, Committees, Related Bill Details, Amendments, Cosponsors, Summary

TITLE(S):  (italics indicate a title for a portion of a bill)
STATUS: (color indicates Senate actions)
11/3/2000:
Referred to the Committee on Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
11/3/2000:
Referred to House Commerce
11/8/2000:
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.
11/3/2000:
Referred to House Education and the Workforce
11/3/2000:
Referred to House Ways and Means
11/3/2000:
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

COMMITTEE(S):
RELATED BILL DETAILS:

***NONE***


AMENDMENT(S):

***NONE***


COSPONSORS(3), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]:     (Sort: by date)

Rep Aderholt, Robert B. - 11/3/2000 Rep Coburn, Tom A. - 11/3/2000
Rep Salmon, Matt - 11/3/2000


SUMMARY AS OF:
11/3/2000--Introduced.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Common Sense Patients' Bill of Rights Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), and the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to: (1) provide for a patients' bill of rights, patient access to information, and accountability of health plans; and (2) expand access to health care coverage through tax incentives.

Title I: Patients' Bill Of Rights - Subtitle A: Right Advice and Care - Establishes patients' rights to medical advice and care (under ERISA, PHSA, and IRC).

Subtitle B: Right to Information About Plans And Providers - Establishes patients' rights to information about plans and providers.

Subtitle C: Right To Hold Health Plans Accountable - Establishes patients' rights to hold health plans accountable.

Subtitle D: State Flexibility in Applying Requirements to Health Insurance Issuers - Provides for State flexibility in applying requirements to health insurance issuers.

Subtitle E: Effective Dates; Coordination in Implementation; Miscellaneous Provisions - Provides for coordination in implementation.

Title II: Remedies - Amends ERISA to provide for: (1) availability of, and limitations on, court remedies relating to medically reviewable determinations and timely review of claims; and (2) expanded court remedies relating to group health plan determinations that are not medically reviewable.

Title III: Health Care Coverage Access Tax Incentives - Amends the IRC with respect to medical savings accounts (MSAs) to: (1) repeal certain limitations on availability; (2) expand availability beyond employees of small employers and self-employed individuals; (3) increase the amount of allowable tax deduction for contributors; (4) allow both employers and employees to contribute; (5) reduce permitted deductibles under high-deductible heath plans, but provide for cost-of-living adjustments; (6) allow MSAs to be offered under cafeteria plans; and (7) direct the Comptroller General to study and report on the impact of MSAs on the cost of conventional insurance.

Allows a tax deduction for 100 percent of the health insurance costs of self-employed individuals.

Title IV: Health Care Paperwork - Establishes the Health Care Panel to Devise a Uniform Explanation of Benefits to devise a single form for use by third-party health care payers for remittance of claims to providers.