Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation & Surgery (CARES) Act of 2009
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Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation & Surgery (CARES) Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan that covers surgical benefits to also cover outpatient and inpatient diagnosis and treatment of a congenital or developmental deformity, disease, or injury of a minor child (defined as child under the age of 22).
Requires that such coverage: (1) be subject to pre-authorization or pre-certification requirements of the plan or issuer; and (2) include any surgical treatment deemed by the treating physician to be medically necessary to approximate a normal appearance. Defines "treatment" to include reconstructive surgical procedures that are performed on abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, or disease, including: (1) procedures that do not materially affect the function of the body part being treated; and (2) procedures for secondary conditions and follow-up treatment. Excludes cosmetic surgery performed to reshape normal structures of the body to improve appearance or self-esteem.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1339: Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation & Surgery (CARES) Act of 2009. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-1339/
"H.R. 1339: Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation & Surgery (CARES) Act of 2009." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-1339/.
H.R. 1339, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-1339/.
[H.R. 1339: Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation & Surgery (CARES) Act of 2009](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-1339/)