United States 116th Congress Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 162 D · 1 R cosponsors

HR 1884 — Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019

Last action — Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 116th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there are no live odds of enactment. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019 This bill revises various requirements for private health insurance plans and associated plan-holder cost sharing. Specifically, the bill increases premium assistance for low-income households and specifies that the coverage affordability requirements for employer-sponsored plans extend to family members of employees based on the employee's required contribution as a percentage of the employee's income. Further, the bill prohibits specified agency actions that would weaken the requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) with respect to (1) association health plans; (2) short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans; and (3) state applications to waive certain PPACA provisions. The bill also increases the minimum coverage requirements for private health insurance plans and requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to promote the availability of such plans. The health coverage navigator program also is revised to prioritize community and consumer-focused nonprofits and facilitate enrollment in federally supported insurance programs such as Medicaid. The bill establishes a fund for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide cost assistance to individuals who are enrolled in qualified health plans. Additionally, the bill provides new and additional grant funding for states to (1) plan and establish health insurance exchanges, (2) provide consumer assistance about available health insurance plans and coverage, and (3) increase health insurance plan enrollment. HHS also must report on the annual expenditure of user fees collected through federally facilitated exchanges.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

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Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill amends provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to enhance the comprehensiveness of essential health benefits and improve consumer access and affordability.

  • 42 U.S.C. 18022(b)(4)

    and → and so that benefits are included within each of such categories

    This change ensures that essential health benefits include a variety of services across all defined categories.

  • 42 U.S.C. 18022(b)(4)

    and → ; and

    This addition anticipates further elements to be specified in the essential health benefits framework.

  • 42 U.S.C. 18022(b)(4)

    . → ; and

    This adjustment signals the introduction of further stipulations in the essential health benefits section.

  • 42 U.S.C. 18022(b)(4)

    ensure that, beginning January 1, 2020-- (i) in the case of health benefits that are established as essential health benefits, there shall not be substitution of such benefits across benefit categories; (ii) a qualified health plan shall not be treated as providing coverage for the essential health benefits unless under such plan-- (I) coverage of prescription drugs provides for access to a wide variety of classes of drugs within the prescription drug formulary of such plan; and (II) in the case that a drug that is medically necessary for an enrollee under such plan is not included within such formulary, such individual has access to such drug through an exceptions process established by the plan; and (iii) habilitative services are covered at parity with rehabilitative services.

    This new provision establishes rules for essential health benefits to prevent substitution between categories, enhance prescription drug access, and ensure parity between habilitative and rehabilitative services.

  • 42 U.S.C. 18022(d)

    Standard benefit plans.-- (A) In general.--For purposes of providing individuals with the opportunity to make simpler comparisons of health plans offered by different health insurance issuers and simplify the selection process, the Secretary shall, for each plan year beginning with plan year 2020, through rulemaking, specify a structure described in subparagraph (B)(i) for a standard benefit plan for such plan year for each of the bronze, silver, and gold levels of coverage and for each actuarial value variation of a silver plan resulting from the application of section 1402(c). A standard benefit plan for a plan year for a level of coverage or actuarial value variation of a silver plan shall be modeled on the most commonly purchased plans (determined by enrollments in such plans) during the previous 2 plan years offered in the federally facilitated Exchange operated pursuant to section 1321(c) in such level or variation and shall include coverage of deductible-exempt services consistent with actual purchasing patterns of consumers in the previous two plan years.

    This addition mandates the creation of standard benefit plans to help consumers compare health plans more easily and reflect actual purchasing behavior.

Action History

  1. Introduced in House

  2. Introduced in House

  3. Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Education and Labor, 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.

  4. Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Education and Labor, 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.

  5. Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Education and Labor, 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.

  6. Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

  7. Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 162 co-sponsors · 384 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (162)

Not signed on (384)

384 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 384 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Subjects

healthcare health-insurance
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Frequently asked questions

What does HR 1884 do?
Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019 This bill revises various requirements for private health insurance plans and associated plan-holder cost sharing. Specifically, the bill increases premium assistance for low-income households and specifies that the coverage affordability requirements for employer-sponsored plans extend to family members of employees based on the employee's required contribution as a percentage of the employee's income. Further, the bill prohibits specified agency actions that would weaken the requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) with respect to (1) association health plans; (2) short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans; and (3) state applications to waive certain PPACA provisions. The bill also increases the minimum coverage requirements for private health insurance plans and requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to promote the availability of such plans. The health coverage navigator program also is revised to prioritize community and consumer-focused nonprofits and facilitate enrollment in federally supported insurance programs such as Medicaid. The bill establishes a fund for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide cost assistance to individuals who are enrolled in qualified health plans. Additionally, the bill provides new and additional grant funding for states to (1) plan and establish health insurance exchanges, (2) provide consumer assistance about available health insurance plans and coverage, and (3) increase health insurance plan enrollment. HHS also must report on the annual expenditure of user fees collected through federally facilitated exchanges.
Who sponsors HR 1884?
HR 1884 is sponsored by Pallone, Frank (Democratic), Neal, Richard E. (Democratic), Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" (Democratic), Hoyer, Steny H. (Democratic), Schrier, Kim (Democratic), Cisneros, Gilbert Ray (Democratic), DeGette, Diana (Democratic), Castor, Kathy (Democratic), Trahan, Lori (Democratic), Craig, Angie (Democratic), Kuster, Ann M. (Democratic), Ruiz, Raul (Democratic), Boyle, Brendan F. (Democratic), Allred, Colin Z. (Democratic), Bustos, Cheri (Democratic), McBath, Lucy (Democratic), Luján, Ben Ray (Democratic), Lieu, Ted (Democratic), Peters, Scott H. (Democratic), Wilson, Frederica S. (Democratic), Spanberger, Abigail Davis (Democratic), Rouda, Harley (Democratic), Underwood, Lauren (Democratic), Delgado, Antonio (Democratic), Lee, Susie (Democratic), Blunt Rochester, Lisa (Democratic), Doggett, Lloyd (Democratic), Gomez, Jimmy (Democratic), Dingell, Debbie (Democratic), Shalala, Donna E. (Democratic), Frankel, Lois (Democratic), Eshoo, Anna G. (Democratic), Sires, Albio (Democratic), Soto, Darren (Democratic), Jackson Lee, Sheila (Democratic), Keating, William R. (Democratic), Stevens, Haley M. (Democratic), Sewell, Terri A. (Democratic), Trone, David J. (Democratic), Rose, Max (Democratic), Kirkpatrick, Ann (Democratic), Larson, John B. (Democratic), Lewis, John (Democratic), Jayapal, Pramila (Democratic), Garcia, Sylvia R. (Democratic), Courtney, Joe (Democratic), Sánchez, Linda T. (Democratic), Demings, Val Butler (Democratic), Murphy, Stephanie N. (Democratic), Dean, Madeleine (Democratic), Cohen, Steve (Democratic), Thompson, Mike (Democratic), Rush, Bobby L. (Democratic), Morelle, Joseph D. (Democratic), Hill, Katie (Democratic), Higgins, Brian (Democratic), Davis, Susan A. (Democratic), Brownley, Julia (Democratic), Pascrell, Bill (Democratic), Slotkin, Elissa (Democratic), Engel, Eliot L. (Democratic), Kim, Andy (Democratic), Blumenauer, Earl (Democratic), Hayes, Jahana (Democratic), Cox, TJ (Democratic), Takano, Mark (Democratic), Panetta, Jimmy (Democratic), Kildee, Daniel T. (Democratic), Malinowski, Tom (Democratic), Levin, Andy (Democratic), Golden, Jared F. (Democratic), Van Drew, Jefferson (Republican), Mucarsel-Powell, Debbie (Democratic), Grijalva, Raúl M. (Democratic), Espaillat, Adriano (Democratic), Schakowsky, Janice D. (Democratic), Pingree, Chellie (Democratic), Norton, Eleanor Holmes (Democratic), Sablan, Gregorio Kilili Camacho (Democratic), Suozzi, Thomas R. (Democratic), Kind, Ron (Democratic), Johnson, Eddie Bernice (Democratic), Doyle, Michael F. (Democratic), Matsui, Doris O. (Democratic), Crow, Jason (Democratic), Clark, Katherine M. (Democratic), Heck, Denny (Democratic), Pappas, Chris (Democratic), Bonamici, Suzanne (Democratic), Hastings, Alcee L. (Democratic), Sarbanes, John P. (Democratic), Speier, Jackie (Democratic), Tonko, Paul (Democratic), Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch (Democratic), Deutch, Theodore E. (Democratic), DeLauro, Rosa L. (Democratic), Raskin, Jamie (Democratic), Barragán, Nanette Diaz (Democratic), Napolitano, Grace F. (Democratic), Bera, Ami (Democratic), DeSaulnier, Mark (Democratic), Houlahan, Chrissy (Democratic), Davids, Sharice (Democratic), Jeffries, Hakeem S. (Democratic), Wexton, Jennifer (Democratic), Kilmer, Derek (Democratic), Carbajal, Salud O. (Democratic), Norcross, Donald (Democratic), Smith, Adam (Democratic), Horsford, Steven (Democratic), Omar, Ilhan (Democratic), Chu, Judy (Democratic), Yarmuth, John A. (Democratic), Cárdenas, Tony (Democratic), Casten, Sean (Democratic), DeFazio, Peter A. (Democratic), Phillips, Dean (Democratic), Garamendi, John (Democratic), Quigley, Mike (Democratic), Cummings, Elijah E. (Democratic), Adams, Alma S. (Democratic), Lowenthal, Alan S. (Democratic), Levin, Mike (Democratic), Waters, Maxine (Democratic), Kennedy, Joseph P., III (Democratic), Larsen, Rick (Democratic), Pocan, Mark (Democratic), McEachin, A. Donald (Democratic), Neguse, Joe (Democratic), Escobar, Veronica (Democratic), Lee, Barbara (Democratic), Payne, Donald M. (Democratic), Scanlon, Mary Gay (Democratic), Davis, Danny K. (Democratic), Cartwright, Matt (Democratic), Khanna, Ro (Democratic), Schrader, Kurt (Democratic), Maloney, Carolyn B. (Democratic), Schneider, Bradley Scott (Democratic), Rice, Kathleen M. (Democratic), Wasserman Schultz, Debbie (Democratic), Finkenauer, Abby (Democratic), Connolly, Gerald E. (Democratic), Watson Coleman, Bonnie (Democratic), Pressley, Ayanna (Democratic), Cicilline, David N. (Democratic), DelBene, Suzan K. (Democratic), Gallego, Ruben (Democratic), Moulton, Seth (Democratic), Langevin, James R. (Democratic), Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" (Democratic), Luria, Elaine G. (Democratic), Himes, James A. (Democratic), Porter, Katie (Democratic), Case, Ed (Democratic), Price, David E. (Democratic), Brown, Anthony G. (Democratic), Lofgren, Zoe (Democratic), Cuellar, Henry (Democratic), McCollum, Betty (Democratic), García, Jesús G. "Chuy" (Democratic), McGovern, James P. (Democratic), and Aguilar, Pete (Democratic).
What is the current status of HR 1884?
This bill died with 116th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track HR 1884?
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