Consensus Interim Health Act

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Portable and Permanent Private Health Insurance

Subtitle A: Portability

Subtitle B: Permanence

Title II: Small Business Health Insurance Pools

Title III: Enhanced Efficiency Through Paperwork Reduction

Title IV: Antitrust Reforms

Consensus Interim Health Act - Title I: Portable and Permanent Health Insurance - Subtitle A: Portability - Amends COBRA provisions of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to continuation coverage requirements to permit the options of: (1) identical coverage; (2) coverage with an annual $1,000 deductible; and (3) coverage with an annual $3,000 deductible. Permits penalty-free withdrawals from qualified retirement plans for such coverage.

Subtitle B: Permanence - Prohibits either an insurer or an employer from cancelling a health plan other than for: (1) nonpayment of premiums; (2) fraud; (3) noncompliance; or (4) the plan will no longer be provided in a geographic area.

(Sec. 112) Requires an insurer, with respect to any individual health plan as of enactment, to offer the insured the option to purchase a new individual health insurance plan.

(Sec. 113) Requires an insurer, with respect to any group health plan in effect as of enactment, to offer the option to purchase upon leaving the group a new individual health insurance plan.

Title II: Small Business Health Insurance Pools - Prohibits any State or local law from applying that: (1) prohibits two or more employers or groups from obtaining coverage under a multiple employer health plan; and (2) requires the coverage of one or more specific benefits, services, or categories of health care or provider.

(Sec. 203) Preempts, for five years, the following provisions of State law: (1) restrictions on reimbursement rates or selective contracting; (2) restrictions on differential financial incentives; and (3) restrictions on utilization review methods.

Title III: Enhanced Efficiency Through Paperwork Reduction - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to adopt standards to reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens of all Federal health care programs by a total of 75 percent over a five-year period.

(Sec. 302) Requires any State-administered health care program, in order to be eligible for funds in connection with such program, to standardize the processing of paper and electronic claims by 75 percent over a five-year period.

(Sec. 303) Provides for the establishment of a Standardized Forms Commission to make recommendations on the standardization of paper and electronic claims processing.

Title IV: Antitrust Reforms - Provides for the promulgation of guidelines under which a health care joint venture may request that the entities participating in the joint venture receive specified exemptions under the antitrust laws.

(Sec. 402) Permits the Attorney General to issue a certificate of public advantage to an eligible health care joint venture, exempting such venture under the antitrust laws, if: (1) the benefits that are likely to result outweigh any likely reduction in competition; and (2) any such reduction is reasonably necessary to obtain such benefits.

(Sec. 403) Establishes the Interagency Advisory Committee on Competition, Antitrust Policy, and Health Care in order to: (1) evaluate competition and antitrust policy; (2) analyze the effectiveness of health care joint ventures receiving exemptions; and (3) make recommendations.