S. 1667 · 115th Congress
Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Rates Act
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 115th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
D
FeinsteinSponsor2 cosponsors · 2 D
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to declare that the review by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of unreasonable increases in health care coverage premiums does not prohibit a state from imposing on health insurers additional rate requirements that are more protective of consumers.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Jul 27, 2017
Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Rates Act
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to declare that the review by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of unreasonable increases in health care coverage premiums does not prohibit a state from imposing on health insurers additional rate requirements that are more protective of consumers. The HHS review, which currently covers only premium increases, is expanded to include all rate increases.
HHS or the relevant state agency must ensure that any excessive, unjustified, or unfairly discriminatory rates are corrected before, or as soon as possible after, implementation, including through mechanisms such as denying rates, modifying rates, or requiring rebates to consumers. HHS may apply civil monetary penalties to health insurers that fail to comply with a corrective action taken by HHS and may make the plan involved ineligible for classification as a qualified health plan. (Qualified health plans are sold on health insurance exchanges, are the only plans eligible for premium subsidies, and fulfill an individual's requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage.) HHS must determine whether HHS or the state will undertake the corrective actions based on whether the state can adequately undertake the actions.
This bill applies to health plans grandfathered under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Rates Act
Latest action (Jul 27, 2017): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S4430-4431)
Policy area: Health · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Jul 27, 2017
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.