Download America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009l H.R. 3200 Ebook by John Dingell

America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009l H.R. 3200

Elements of the billThe summary of the bill includes the following elements, among others: 1. Establishes a mandate for health insurance for most legal United States residents 2. Prohibits pre-existing condition exclusions. 3. Prohibits premium variances, except for age, geographic area, or family (vs. individual) enrollment. 4. Prohibits cancellation of coverage except for evidence of fraud. 5. Limits annual out-of-pocket expenses to $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a family. 6. Includes a public health insurance option to compete with private insurance. 7. Establishes a Health Insurance Exchange (HIE) within a proposed Health Choices Administration, to provide individuals and employers access to health insurance coverage choices. The HIE would contract with various insurers to offer benefit plans at competitive prices, by establishing a risk-pooling mechanism. This will allow individuals and small companies to band together to bargain for lower rates. 8. Provides a tax credit for low-income individuals and families to help pay insurance premiums. 9. Requires employers with payroll costs over $250,000 that are using the HIE to provide health insurance. 10. Provides for a tax on individuals without health insurance and employers that do not provide the required health insurance. 11. Provides for a tax on individuals with adjusted gross income exceeding $350,000. 12. Reduces Medicare payments to hospitals with excessive re-admissions. 13. Establishes a Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research, which would analyze cost variances for similar treatments across the country. 14. Further expands Medicaid eligibility and scope of covered preventive services, for lower-income individuals and families. 15. Increases Medicaid payments to physicians for primary care. 16. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop quality measures for the delivery of health care services in the United States. 17. Establishes the Health Benefits Advisory Committee chaired by the Surgeon General.