1.This Act may be cited as
the Universal Health Coverage Act of
2007
.
2.Universal health
insurance coverage for all Americans
(a)Each individual residing in the United States who is a
citizen or national of the United States, or an alien lawfully admitted to the
United States for permanent residence shall have qualified health
coverage.
(b)Qualified health
coverage definedFor purposes of this section, the term
qualified health coverage means coverage under any of the
following:
(1)The
medicare, medicaid, or SCHIP program, under title XVIII, XIX, or XXI of the
Social Security Act.
(2)A
program of veterans’ medical care under chapter 17 of title 38, United States
Code.
(3)Chapter 55 of
title 10, United States Code.
(4)The Federal
employees health benefits program under chapter 89 of title 5, United States
Code.
(5)A
program of the Indian Health Service.
(6)A
group health plan (as defined in section 733(a)(1) of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974), including a retiree health plan.
(7)A health plan
described in subsection (d).
(8)Any other
qualified health coverage as the State involved finds appropriate.
(c)Subsection
(a) shall not apply to an individual who is opposed for religious reasons to
health coverage, including an individual who declines health plan coverage due
to a reliance on healing using spiritual means through prayer alone.
(d)The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation
with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, shall develop at
least 3 types of low-cost health insurance plans for each State and the
District of Columbia that shall be made available, on a guaranteed-issue basis,
to all individuals with incomes below 400 percent of the Federal poverty line
(as determined by the Secretary).
(e)Subsection (a) shall take effect on January 1, 2009.
3.Excise tax for
enforcement and funding of uncompensated care hospital pool
(a)Subtitle D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating
to miscellaneous excise taxes) is amended by adding at the end the following
new chapter:
48Uninsured excise
tax for uncompensated care hospital pool
Sec. 5000A. Uninsured excise tax for uncompensated care
hospital pool.
5000A.Uninsured
excise tax for uncompensated care hospital poolThere is hereby imposed on each individual
who for any month (or portion thereof) is required, but fails, to have
qualified health coverage in accordance with section 2(a) of the
Universal Health Coverage Act of
2007 for any continuous period that is greater than 60 days a tax
in an amount equal to the average monthly premium amount for qualified health
coverage in the State in which the individual resides (as determined pursuant
to regulations promulgated by the Secretary) for each such
month.
.
(b)Application of
tax for automatic enrollmentAmounts collected under section
5000A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall be credited to a fund
administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and shall be
available in advance of appropriations for the Secretary to cover the cost of
administering a program to automatically enroll individuals who pay a tax under
such section in health care coverage under one of the three lowest cost
qualified health coverage products offered in the State involved. Such coverage
may include enrollment in any program described in section 2(b) if the
individual is eligible for such enrollment. The Secretary shall carry out the
program under this subsection in consultation and coordination with State
governors.
(c)The table of chapters for subtitle D of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new
item:
Chapter 48. Uninsured excise
tax for uncompensated care hospital pool.
(d)The amendments made by this section shall take effect on
January 1, 2009.