[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1524 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1524

 To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the availability 
                  of Archer medical savings accounts.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 4, 2001

Mr. Thomas (for himself, Mr. Lipinski, Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut, Mr. 
Peterson of Minnesota, Mr. Crane, Mr. Phelps, Mr. McCrery, Mr. Deutsch, 
 Mr. Camp, Mr. Hall of Texas, Mr. Ramstad, Mr. Lucas of Kentucky, Mr. 
Sam Johnson of Texas, Ms. Dunn, Mr. English, Mr. Hayworth, Mr. McInnis, 
 Mr. Lewis of Kentucky, Mr. Brady of Texas, Mr. Armey, Mr. DeLay, Mr. 
Miller of Florida, Mr. Paul, Mr. Rogers of Michigan, Mr. Fossella, Mr. 
   Tancredo, Mr. Schaffer, Mr. Walsh, Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Cooksey, Mr. 
 Sessions, Mr. Ose, Ms. Hart, and Mrs. Kelly) introduced the following 
      bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the availability 
                  of Archer medical savings accounts.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medical Savings Account Availability 
Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF AVAILABILITY OF ARCHER MEDICAL SAVINGS ACCOUNTS.

    (a) Repeal of Limitations on Number of Medical Savings Accounts.--
            (1) In general.--Subsections (i) and (j) of section 220 of 
        the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 are hereby repealed.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--
                    (A) Paragraph (1) of section 220(c) of such Code is 
                amended by striking subparagraph (D).
                    (B) Section 138 of such Code is amended by striking 
                subsection (f).
    (b) Availability Not Limited to Accounts for Employees of Small 
Employers and Self-Employed Individuals.--
            (1) In general.--Subparagraph (A) of section 220(c)(1) of 
        such Code (relating to eligible individual) is amended to read 
        as follows:
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `eligible individual' 
                means, with respect to any month, any individual if--
                            ``(i) such individual is covered under a 
                        high deductible health plan as of the 1st day 
                        of such month, and
                            ``(ii) such individual is not, while 
                        covered under a high deductible health plan, 
                        covered under any health plan--
                                    ``(I) which is not a high 
                                deductible health plan, and
                                    ``(II) which provides coverage for 
                                any benefit which is covered under the 
                                high deductible health plan.''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--
                    (A) Section 220(c)(1) of such Code is amended by 
                striking subparagraph (C).
                    (B) Section 220(c) of such Code is amended by 
                striking paragraph (4) (defining small employer) and by 
                redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (4).
                    (C) Section 220(b) of such Code is amended by 
                striking paragraph (4) (relating to deduction limited 
                by compensation) and by redesignating paragraphs (5), 
                (6), and (7) as paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), 
                respectively.
    (c) Increase in Amount of Deduction Allowed for Contributions to 
Medical Savings Accounts.--
            (1) In general.--Paragraph (2) of section 220(b) of such 
        Code is amended to read as follows:
            ``(2) Monthly limitation.--The monthly limitation for any 
        month is the amount equal to \1/12\ of the annual deductible 
        (as of the first day of such month) of the individual's 
        coverage under the high deductible health plan.''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Clause (ii) of section 
        220(d)(1)(A) of such Code is amended by striking ``75 percent 
        of''.
    (d) Both Employers and Employees May Contribute to Medical Savings 
Accounts.--Paragraph (4) of section 220(b) of such Code (as 
redesignated by subsection (b)(2)(C)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(4) Coordination with exclusion for employer 
        contributions.--The limitation which would (but for this 
        paragraph) apply under this subsection to the taxpayer for any 
        taxable year shall be reduced (but not below zero) by the 
        amount which would (but for section 106(b)) be includible in 
        the taxpayer's gross income for such taxable year.''.
    (e) Reduction of Permitted Deductibles Under High Deductible Health 
Plans.--
            (1) In general.--Subparagraph (A) of section 220(c)(2) of 
        such Code (defining high deductible health plan) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``$1,500'' in clause (i) and 
                inserting ``$1,000''; and
                    (B) by striking ``$3,000'' in clause (ii) and 
                inserting ``$2,000''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Subsection (g) of section 220 of 
        such Code is amended to read as follows:
    ``(g) Cost-of-Living Adjustment.--
            ``(1) In general.--In the case of any taxable year 
        beginning in a calendar year after 1998, each dollar amount in 
        subsection (c)(2) shall be increased by an amount equal to--
                    ``(A) such dollar amount, multiplied by
                    ``(B) the cost-of-living adjustment determined 
                under section 1(f)(3) for the calendar year in which 
                such taxable year begins by substituting `calendar year 
                1997' for `calendar year 1992' in subparagraph (B) 
                thereof.
            ``(2) Special rules.--In the case of the $1,000 amount in 
        subsection (c)(2)(A)(i) and the $2,000 amount in subsection 
        (c)(2)(A)(ii), paragraph (1)(B) shall be applied by 
        substituting `calendar year 2000' for `calendar year 1997'.
            ``(3) Rounding.--If any increase under paragraph (1) or (2) 
        is not a multiple of $50, such increase shall be rounded to the 
        nearest multiple of $50.''.
    (f) Providing Incentives for Preferred Provider Organizations To 
Offer Medical Savings Accounts.--Clause (ii) of section 220(c)(2)(B) of 
such Code is amended by striking ``preventive care if'' and all that 
follows and inserting ``preventive care.''
    (g) Medical Savings Accounts May Be Offered Under Cafeteria 
Plans.--Subsection (f) of section 125 of such Code is amended by 
striking ``106(b),''.
    (h) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2001.
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