skip to main content
Hide All The Ads With a Yearly Membership Subscribe ▶

H.R. 830: HELP Copays Act

Compare this bill to another bill:

React to this bill with an emoji

(About Ads | Hide These Ads)

The text of the bill below is as of Feb 6, 2023 (Introduced).

I

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 830

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 6, 2023

(for himself, Ms. Barragán, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Ms. DeGette, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mrs. Watson Coleman, and Ms. Clarke of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL

To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to apply additional payments, discounts, and other financial assistance towards the cost-sharing requirements of health insurance plans, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Help Ensure Lower Patient Copays Act or the HELP Copays Act.

2.

Application of additional payments, discounts, and other financial assistance toward cost-sharing requirements

(a)

Application toward cost-Sharing requirements

Section 2715(g)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg–15(g)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following: In developing the standards for defining the terms deductible, co-insurance, co-payment, and out-of-pocket limit (as described in paragraph (2)), such standards shall provide that such terms include amounts paid by, or on behalf of, an individual enrolled in a group health plan or group or individual health insurance coverage, including third-party payments, financial assistance, discounts, product vouchers, and other reductions in out-of-pocket expenses and that such amounts shall be counted toward such deductible, co-insurance, co-payment, or limit, respectively..

(b)

Conforming amendments

(1)

PPACA

Section 1302(c)(3) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18022(c)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

(C)

Application of terms

For purposes of subparagraph (A), the terms deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or similar charge and any other expenditure described in clause (ii) of such subparagraph shall include amounts paid by, or on behalf of, an individual enrolled in a group health plan or group or individual health insurance coverage, including third-party payments, financial assistance, discounts, product vouchers, and other reductions in out-of-pocket expenses and such amounts shall be counted toward such deductible, coinsurance, copayment, charge, or other expenditure, respectively.

.

(2)

PHSA

Section 2707(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg–6(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: For purposes of the previous sentence, such limitation shall be applied as if the reference to essential health benefits in section 1302(c)(3) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act were a reference to any item or service covered under the plan included within a category of essential health benefits as described in (b)(1) of such section..