To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to establish Federal standards for health insurance forms, quality, fair marketing, and honesty in out-of-network coverage in the group and individual health insurance markets, to improve transparency and accountability in those markets, and to establish a Federal Office of Health Insurance Oversight to monitor performance in those markets, and for other purposes.
Informed Consumer Choices in Health Care Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) develop standards for health insurance issuers in providing information to group health plans, for forms used in connection with group health insurance coverage, for quality assurance, for marketing of group health insurance coverage, and for the accuracy and clarity of coverage for out-of-network providers; (2) undertake activities to promote accountability of health insurance issuers in meeting federal health insurance requirements; (3) provide grants to Departments of Insurance in states to assist in enforcement of federal health insurance requirements governing health insurance issuers operating in such states; (4) undertake activities to promote transparency in costs, market practices, and other factors for health insurance coverage; and (5) establish within HHS an Office of Health Insurance Oversight to promote accountability and transparency in health insurance and provide for assistance to consumers in selecting health care coverage.
Directs the Secretaries of Labor and the Treasury to establish standards and accountability and transparency initiatives for group health plans comparable to the standards established by the HHS Secretary under this Act.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5524-5527)
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to House Energy and Commerce
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
Referred to House Ways and Means
Referred to House Education and Labor
Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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