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Health Care Coverage Expansion and Quality Improvement Act of 2003

Introduced: January 7, 2003 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
Jan 7, 2003
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Jan 7, 2003
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR 1/9/2003 S134)
Jan 7, 2003
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Health Care Coverage Expansion and Quality Improvement Act of 2003 - Requires a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer that provides health insurance coverage, to conduct utilization review activities in connection with the provision of benefits under such plan or coverage only in accordance with a utilization review program, as specified.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Health Care Consumer Assistance Fund, to be used to award grants to eligible States to carry out consumer assistance activities designed to provide information, assistance, and referrals to consumers of health insurance products.

Requires access to care, including non-network providers, timely access to specialty care, direct access to specialists in obstetrics and gynecology, investigational drug and device coverage, coverage for patients in clinical trials, and the inpatient period for breast cancer patients.

Prohibits restricting a health care professional's communications with a patient, discrimination against a provider solely because of the provider's license or certification, improper incentives, and retaliation for patient advocacy, including by providers. Requires prompt claims payment.

Delays the required submission date of a letter of credit by carriers administering Supplementary Medical Insurance.

Sets forth patient safety improvement provisions.

Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to prohibit certain employee group health plans or related insurances providing both medical-surgical and mental health benefits from imposing mental health treatment limitations or financial requirements unless comparable limitations and requirements are imposed upon medical-surgical benefits.

Provides for the automatic enrollment in Title XXI (currently, the State Children's Health Insurance Program - renamed the FamilyCare Program under this Act) of the Social Security Act of children born to title XXI parents.

Provides expanded Medicaid benefits for disabled children and for psychiatric care for individuals under age 21.

Amends Social Security Act provisions with respect to the welfare-to-work transition under the Medicaid program.

Authorizes the Secretary to award demonstration grants to a limited number of States to conduct innovative programs designed to improve outreach to homeless individuals and families under specified programs for the homeless (including Medicaid and FamilyCare) with respect to enrollment of such individuals and families and the provision of services under such programs.

Amends the Indian Health Care Act to guarantee specified amounts of funding for Indian health care.

What's happening now January 7, 2003

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 3
All 3 Democratic 3