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HR 5726 107th Congress House Health Armed Forces and National Security Civil actions and liability Commerce Employee health benefits Families Federal employees Finance and Financial Sector Fines (Penalties) Government Operations and Politics Government contractors Government employees' health insurance Health insurance Health insurance industry Injunctions Insurance premiums Labor and Employment Law Medicaid Medically uninsured

Health Care for Working Families Act of 2002

Introduced: November 13, 2002 Introduced by: Pallone, Frank Democratic · New Jersey See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Nov 22, 2002
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
Nov 13, 2002
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Government Reform, and Armed Services, 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 13, 2002
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Health Care for Working Families Act of 2002 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to establish a new title II, Health Benefits for Employees and Their Families.

Requires each large employer to: (1) offer to each of its employees the opportunity to enroll in a qualifying health benefit plan that provides coverage for the employee and the employee's family; (2) contribute to the cost of such plan; and (3) withhold the employee share of the plan premium from the employee's wages.

Defines a large employer as one that employed an average of at least 50 full-time employees (including contract workers) on business days during the preceding calendar year, and employs at least 50 employees on the first day of the plan year.

Defines a qualifying health benefit plan as one that: (1) provides benefits for health care items and services actuarially equivalent to or greater in value than those offered as of January 1, 2002, under the Blue Cross-Blue Shield (BC-BS) Standard Plan provided under the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP); and (2) meets applicable requirements under the Public Health Service Act. Sets the minimum required contribution by an employer at the same portion of the total premium as the Federal Government pays for such BC-BS Standard Plan under FEHBP.

Requires any employee covered under a Federal health insurance program (including Medicare, Medicaid, FEHBP, and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services), with certain exceptions, to accept an employer's offer of health insurance coverage and agree to payroll withholdings, or request the Federal health insurance program to pay the employee share of the premium.

Amends the Public Health Service Act to require a health insurance issuer that offers employee health insurance coverage to an employer to ensure that it complies with requirements of this Act.

What's happening now November 22, 2002

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.

 Committees of jurisdiction 6