The House passed six bills focused on individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements (HSA), association health plans, stop-loss insurance, and reducing employer ACA reporting costs.
The HR Policy-supported Paperwork Burden Reduction Act (H.R. 3797) and the Employer Reporting Improvement Act (H.R. 3801) would reduce ACA-related reporting costs for employers.
The CHOICE Arrangement Act (H.R. 3799) would:
- Codify a Trump-era rule that would allow employers to provide individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements to certain groups of employees;
- Loosen current requirements that small businesses must meet in order for groups to create and access association health plans;
- Ensure that access to stop-loss coverage is protected by ERISA preemption; and
- Require the federal government to notify small businesses of the flexible health benefit options available to them.
Outlook: The package of bills represents the GOP health care priorities first outlined in their Healthy Future Task Force reports, but it is unclear if the CHOICE Arrangement Act can pass the Senate, which is developing its own health care reform bill. Later this year, the House may also vote on three other HR Policy-supported bills that will improve telehealth access (H.R. 824 H.R. 1843) and high deductible health plan-HSA plan benefits (H.R. 3800).
