To provide that certain guidance related to waivers for State innovation under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act shall have no force or effect.
Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019
(Sec. 3) This bill nullifies guidance from the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Health and Human Services titled State Relief and Empowerment Waivers, published on October 24, 2018. The guidance pertains to Section 1332 waivers (also known as State Innovation Waivers or State Relief and Empowerment Waivers), which allow states to forego certain requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in order to implement experimental plans for health care coverage, as long as the resulting coverage meets certain statutory criteria.
The guidance, which supersedes earlier guidance from 2015, alters agency interpretation of how states may satisfy the statutory criteria for waiver approval. For example, the guidance (1) redefines acceptable coverage under such waivers to include short-term, limited-duration insurance and association health plans; (2) allows the comprehensiveness and affordability of coverage under such waivers to be assessed based on projected availability, rather than enrollment; and (3) allows the level of coverage to be assessed based on the effects over the entire course of the waiver, rather than per year.
(Sec. 4) The Government Accountability Office must report on the number of individuals that would have been expected to lose access to health insurance coverage, as well as the expected effect on mental health care treatment, in the absence of this bill.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 523.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Holding amendment No. 7.
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Holding amendment No. 7, the Chair put the question on the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Pallone demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Porter amendment No. 8.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Pappas amendment No. 9.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Rouda amendment No. 10.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Malinowski amendment No. 11.
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Malinowski amendment, the Chair put the question on the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Malinowski demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 357, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Wild amendment No. 12.
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POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Wild amendment, the Chair put the question on the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Ms. Wild demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.
The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 986.
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
Mr. Walden moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. (text: CR H3548)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Walden motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to prohibit the Secretary of HHS to waive protections for individuals with preexisting conditions, including guaranteed availablity and renewability of health insurance, the prohibition on using health status to vary premiums, and the prohibition on preexisting conditions exclusions.
The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 182 - 231 (Roll no. 195).
Roll Call #195 (House)Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 230 - 183, 1 Present (Roll no. 196).
Roll Call #196 (House)On passage Passed by recorded vote: 230 - 183, 1 Present (Roll no. 196).
Roll Call #196 (House)Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 90.