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S. 1235 · 111th Congress

Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation & Surgery (CARES) Act of 2009

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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 111th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

8 cosponsors · 7 D, 1 R

3 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation & Surgery (CARES) Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan that covers surgical benefits to also cover outpatient and inpatient diagnosis and treatment of a congenital or…

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Jun 11, 2009

Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation & Surgery (CARES) Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan that covers surgical benefits to also cover outpatient and inpatient diagnosis and treatment of a congenital or developmental deformity, disease, or injury of a minor child (defined as child under the age of 22).

Requires that such coverage: (1) be subject to pre-authorization or pre-certification requirements of the plan or issuer; and (2) include any surgical treatment deemed by the treating physician to be medically necessary to approximate a normal appearance. Defines "treatment" to include reconstructive surgical procedures that are performed on abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, or disease, including: (1) procedures that do not materially affect the function of the body part being treated; and (2) procedures for secondary conditions and follow-up treatment. Excludes cosmetic surgery performed to reshape normal structures of the body to improve appearance or self-esteem.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation & Surgery (CARES) Act of 2009

Latest action (Jun 11, 2009): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Policy area: Health · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Jun 11, 2009

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.