S. 391 (111th): Healthy Americans Act

Introduced:
Feb 05, 2009 (111th Congress, 2009–2010)
Sponsor:
Sen. Ron Wyden [D-OR]
Status:
Died (Referred to Committee)
See Instead:

H.R. 1321 (same title)
Referred to Committee — Mar 05, 2009

The bill’s title was written by the bill’s sponsor. S. stands for Senate bill.

GovTrack’s Bill Summary

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Library of Congress Summary

The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.


2/5/2009--Introduced.
Healthy Americans Act - Requires each adult individual to have the opportunity to purchase a Healthy Americans Private Insurance Plan (HAPI), which is:
(1) a plan offered by a state; or
(2) an employer-sponsored health coverage plan.
Makes individuals who are not enrolled in another specified health plan and who are not opposed to coverage for religious reasons responsible for enrolling themselves and their dependent children in a HAPI plan offered through their state of residence.
Sets forth penalties for failure to enroll.
Establishes standardized coverage and state options for HAPI plans.
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate guidelines concerning the benefits, items, and services to be covered.
Sets forth requirements for setting premiums.
Requires the Secretary to establish the Healthy America Advisory Committee to provide annual recommendations concerning modifications to the benefits, items, and services required.
Provides for school-based health centers.
Authorizes states to establish and operate a State Choices for Long-Term Care Program. Requires the Secretary to establish Chronic Care Education Centers.
Requires states to establish or designate a state Health Help Agency to carry out the administration of HAPI plans and to promote prevention and wellness for residents.
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require employers and individuals to each make shared responsibility payments for HAPI plan premiums.
Sets forth requirements for health insurance issuers offering a HAPI plan.
Establishes the Healthy Americans Public Health Trust Fund for the payment of: (1) premium subsidies; and (2) bonuses to states for implementing medical malpractice reform.
Terminates federal health benefits coverage, including coverage provided under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

House Republican Conference Summary

The summary below was written by the House Republican Conference, which is the caucus of Republicans in the House of Representatives.


No summary available.

House Democratic Caucus Summary

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The bill contains the following citations to other parts of U.S. law:

Slip Laws

Slip laws refer to enacted bills and joint resolutions in their original form as enacted by Congress, that is, before other laws amend them. Slip laws are cited as “Public Law XXX-YYY”, where XXX is the number of the Congress in which the bill or resolution was introduced.

United States Code

The United States Code is the compilation of permanent laws enacted by Congress. Temporary and other non-permanent laws do not appear in the United States Code. (About half of the United States Code is the law itself, called positive law. The other half is merely a compilation of the laws but has no legal significance.)

Other Citations

  • 5 U.S.C. Chapter 89
  • 28 U.S.C. Chapter 171