[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1549 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1549

To amend Public Law 111-148 to transfer fiscal year 2013 through fiscal 
year 2016 funds from the Prevention and Public Health Fund to carry out 
 the temporary high risk health insurance pool program for individuals 
 with preexisting conditions, and to extend access to such program to 
 such individuals who have had creditable coverage during the 6 months 
        prior to application for coverage through such program.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 15, 2013

 Mr. Pitts (for himself, Mr. Burgess, and Mrs. Wagner) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend Public Law 111-148 to transfer fiscal year 2013 through fiscal 
year 2016 funds from the Prevention and Public Health Fund to carry out 
 the temporary high risk health insurance pool program for individuals 
 with preexisting conditions, and to extend access to such program to 
 such individuals who have had creditable coverage during the 6 months 
        prior to application for coverage through such program.

    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 ``Helping Sick Americans Now Act''.

SEC. 2. PRIORITIZING FUNDING FOR SICK AMERICANS.

    Section 4002(c) of Public Law 111-148 (42 U.S.C. 300u-11(c)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: ``Notwithstanding any other 
provision of this section, the Secretary shall transfer amounts that 
are in the Fund that are attributable to fiscal year 2013 that are not 
otherwise obligated as of the date of the enactment of this sentence 
and funds that would otherwise be made available to the Fund for fiscal 
year 2014, fiscal year 2015, and fiscal year 2016 to the account within 
the Department of Health and Human Services that provides for funding 
to carry out the temporary high risk health insurance pool program 
under section 1101 and such funds shall become available for obligation 
under such section on such date of enactment and remain so available 
through December 31, 2013.''.

SEC. 3. IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR SICK AMERICANS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1101(d) of Public Law 111-148 (42 U.S.C. 
18001(d)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end ``and'';
            (2) by striking paragraph (2); and
            (3) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2).
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to individuals applying for coverage through the 
high risk insurance pool program on or after the date of the enactment 
of this Act.
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