Skip to main content
HR 5628 106th Congress House

Common Sense Patients' Bill of Rights Act

Official title: To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a patients' b… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a patients' bill of rights, patient access to information, and accountability of health plans, and to expand access to health care coverage through tax incentives.

Introduced: November 3, 2000 See on congress.gov
Health Access to health careAdministrative remediesAdvice and consent of the SenateAmbulances
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Business income taxCancerCancer researchChild healthChronically illCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCivil actions and liabilityClass actions (Civil procedure)ClergyClinical trialsCoinsuranceCommerceCommunication in medicineConflict of interestsCongressCongressional investigationsCongressional reporting requirementsConsumer complaintsConsumer educationContractsCost of living adjustmentsDamagesDepartment of Health and Human ServicesDiscrimination in insuranceDiscrimination in medical careDrugsEconomics and Public FinanceEmergency ManagementEmergency medical servicesEmployee health benefitsEvidence (Law)Executive reorganizationFamiliesFederal advisory bodiesFeesFinance and Financial SectorFines (Penalties)Flexible benefit plansFreedom of speechGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernment paperworkGrievance proceduresGynecologyHealth counselingHealth insuranceHealth insurance continuationHealth insurance industryHospital careIncome taxIndexing (Economic policy)Information servicesInjunctionsInsurance premiumsLabor and EmploymentLawLegal feesLiability (Law)LicensesLimitation of actionsManaged careMaternal health servicesMedical economicsMedical ethicsMedical feesMedical savings accountsMental health servicesObstetricsPatient satisfactionPatients' rightsPeer review organizations (Medicine)Personal income taxPharmacistsPhysician-patient privilegePhysiciansPregnant womenPresidential appointmentsPsychotherapyPunitive damagesQuality of careReligionReligion and medicineReligious libertyScience, Technology, CommunicationsSelf-employedSmall businessStandardsTax deductionsTaxationTelephoneTerminal careTerminally illWomenWomen's health
This bill died when the 106th Congress ended
It never became law before the 106th Congress (1999–2000) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Nov 8, 2000
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.
Nov 3, 2000
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Nov 3, 2000
Referred to the Committee on Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, 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.
Nov 3, 2000
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action November 8, 2000

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Common Sense Patients' Bill of Rights Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), and the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to: (1) provide for a patients' bill of rights, patient access to information, and accountability of health plans; and (2) expand access to health care coverage through tax incentives.

Title I: Patients' Bill Of Rights - Subtitle A: Right Advice and Care - Establishes patients' rights to medical advice and care (under ERISA, PHSA, and IRC).

Subtitle B: Right to Information About Plans And Providers - Establishes patients' rights to information about plans and providers.

Subtitle C: Right To Hold Health Plans Accountable - Establishes patients' rights to hold health plans accountable.

Subtitle D: State Flexibility in Applying Requirements to Health Insurance Issuers - Provides for State flexibility in applying requirements to health insurance issuers.

Subtitle E: Effective Dates; Coordination in Implementation; Miscellaneous Provisions - Provides for coordination in implementation.

Title II: Remedies - Amends ERISA to provide for: (1) availability of, and limitations on, court remedies relating to medically reviewable determinations and timely review of claims; and (2) expanded court remedies relating to group health plan determinations that are not medically reviewable.

Title III: Health Care Coverage Access Tax Incentives - Amends the IRC with respect to medical savings accounts (MSAs) to: (1) repeal certain limitations on availability; (2) expand availability beyond employees of small employers and self-employed individuals; (3) increase the amount of allowable tax deduction for contributors; (4) allow both employers and employees to contribute; (5) reduce permitted deductibles under high-deductible heath plans, but provide for cost-of-living adjustments; (6) allow MSAs to be offered under cafeteria plans; and (7) direct the Comptroller General to study and report on the impact of MSAs on the cost of conventional insurance.

Allows a tax deduction for 100 percent of the health insurance costs of self-employed individuals.

Title IV: Health Care Paperwork - Establishes the Health Care Panel to Devise a Uniform Explanation of Benefits to devise a single form for use by third-party health care payers for remittance of claims to providers.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 5
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5628: Common Sense Patients' Bill of Rights Act. 106th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/106-HR-5628/
MLA
"H.R. 5628: Common Sense Patients' Bill of Rights Act." 106th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/106-HR-5628/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5628, 106th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/106-HR-5628/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5628: Common Sense Patients' Bill of Rights Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/106-HR-5628/)
Report a problem