[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1327 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1327

To make enrollment in health benefits plans under the Federal Employee 
 Health Benefits Program available to employees of qualified employers 
when fewer than 2 qualified health plans are offered through the Small 
                    Business Health Options Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 18, 2013

  Mr. Begich (for himself and Ms. Landrieu) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To make enrollment in health benefits plans under the Federal Employee 
 Health Benefits Program available to employees of qualified employers 
when fewer than 2 qualified health plans are offered through the Small 
                    Business Health Options 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 ``Healthy Competition for Small 
Business Act''.

SEC. 2. SHOP EXCHANGES.

    Section 1311(d) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 
(42 U.S.C. 18031(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) Rules relating to shop exchanges.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In the case of a SHOP Exchange 
                in a State through which fewer than 2 qualified health 
                plans at each level of coverage described in section 
                1302(d)(1) are available and no multi-State Qualified 
                health plan is available, qualified employers in the 
                State may make available to employees enrollment in a 
                health benefits plan under the Federal Employees Health 
                Benefits Program, in accordance with subparagraph (B). 
                Enrollment in such a health benefits plan shall be 
                offered in the same manner that enrollment in other 
                qualified health plans offered through the SHOP 
                Exchange is offered.
                    ``(B) FEHBP process.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Notwithstanding the 
                        provisions of title 5, United States Code, any 
                        Executive order, or any administrative 
                        regulation, and subject to this paragraph, a 
                        qualified employer in a State described in 
                        subparagraph (A) shall be entitled to purchase 
                        coverage, rights, and benefits for the 
                        employees of the qualified employer under 
                        chapter 89 of such title if necessary employee 
                        deductions and agency contributions in payment 
                        for the coverage, rights, and benefits for the 
                        period of employment with the qualified 
                        employer are currently deposited in the 
                        Employees Health Benefits Fund established 
                        under section 8909 of such title.
                            ``(ii) Separate risk pool.--Individuals 
                        covered under a health benefits plan under the 
                        Federal Employees Health Benefits Program under 
                        clause (i) shall be in a risk pool that is 
                        separate from the risk pool for individuals 
                        otherwise covered under a health benefits plan 
                        under the Federal Employees Health Benefits 
                        Program.
                    ``(C) Termination of option.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Federal Employees 
                        Health Benefits Program enrollment option made 
                        available through a SHOP Exchange, as described 
                        in subparagraph (A), shall be terminated if--
                                    ``(I) 2 or more qualified health 
                                plans at each level of coverage become 
                                available through the SHOP Exchange; or
                                    ``(II) 1 or more multi-State 
                                qualified health plans become available 
                                through the SHOP Exchange.
                            ``(ii) Expiration of coverage.--If the 
                        Federal Employees Health Benefits Program 
                        enrollment option is terminated, as described 
                        in clause (i), an employee of a qualified 
                        employer that is enrolled in a health benefits 
                        plan under the Federal Employees Health 
                        Benefits Program shall retain coverage under 
                        such health benefits plan until the end of the 
                        contract year.
                    ``(D) Qualification.--For purposes of subparagraphs 
                (A) and (C)(i)(I), a SHOP Exchange shall be deemed to 
                have 2 or more qualified health plans at each level of 
                coverage only if such qualified health plans at each 
                level of coverage described in section 1302(d)(1) are 
                offered by more than 1 issuer.''.
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