H.R. 5449 would amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit discrimination in group health coverage and individual health insurance coverage.
Detailed Summary
No Discrimination in Health Insurance Act of 2008 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Internal Revenue Code, and the Public Health Service Act to prohibit a group health plan from imposing any preexisting conditions exclusion.
Requires each health insurance issuer that offers health insurance coverage in the group market in a state to: (1) accept every employer in the state that applies for such coverage; (2) accept enrollment for every eligible individual who applies during the enrollment period; (3) charge the same premium price for the same coverage; and (4) openly disclose such premium price.
Eliminates provisions allowing nonfederal governmental plans to opt out of certain group health plan requirements.
Prohibits health insurance issuers that offer coverage in the individual market to individuals residing in an area from: (1) declining to offer such coverage to, or denying enrollment of, eligible individuals in the area who desire to enroll; or (2) imposing any preexisting conditions exclusion. Defines "eligible individual" to mean: (1) a U.S. citizen or national; (2) an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence; or (3) an alien who is otherwise lawfully residing in the United States. Requires such issuers to: (1) charge the same premium price for the same coverage, including coverage offered in the group market; and (2) openly disclose such premium price.
Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish rules to deter individuals from: (1) enrolling in individual health insurance coverage only after they develop an illness or injury; or (2) disenrolling for periods in which they are unlikely to require such coverage.
Status of the Legislation
Latest Major Action: 2/14/2008: Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, 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.
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