[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4019 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4019

 To amend the Public Health Service Act to limit preexisting condition 
exclusions in the individual health insurance market to those permitted 
                 in the group health insurance market.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 4, 2009

   Mr. Deal of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Burgess, Mr. Buyer, and Mr. 
    Blunt) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Public Health Service Act to limit preexisting condition 
exclusions in the individual health insurance market to those permitted 
                 in the group health insurance market.

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

SECTION 1. LIMITING PREEXISTING CONDITION EXCLUSIONS IN THE INDIVIDUAL 
              HEALTH INSURANCE MARKET TO THOSE PERMITTED IN THE GROUP 
              HEALTH INSURANCE MARKET.

    (a) In General.--Section 2741 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 300gg-41) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating the second subsection (e) (relating to 
        market requirements) and subsection (f) as subsections (f) and 
        (g), respectively; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(h) Application of Group Health Insurance Limitations on 
Imposition of Preexisting Condition Exclusions.--A health insurance 
issuer that provides individual health insurance coverage may impose a 
preexisting condition exclusion (as defined in subsection (b)(1)(A) of 
section 2701) with respect to such coverage only to the extent the 
issuer may impose such a condition if such coverage were group health 
insurance coverage under such section.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 2744(a)(1) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 300gg-44(a)(1)) is amended by inserting ``(other than subsection 
(h))'' after ``section 2741''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to health insurance coverage offered, sold, issued, 
renewed, in effect, or operated in the individual market beginning 
after the end of the 6th calendar month beginning after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
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