[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2173 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2173

 To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide a 
 permanent path for the direct enrollment of individuals in qualified 
                             health plans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 27, 2014

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide a 
 permanent path for the direct enrollment of individuals in qualified 
                             health plans.

    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 ``Consumers Having Options in Choosing 
Enrollment Act'' or the ``CHOICE Act''.

SEC. 2. PERMANENT PATHWAY FOR DIRECT ENROLLMENT.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Successful implementation of the Patient Protection and 
        Affordable Care Act (referred to in this section as the 
        ``ACA'') is critical to ensuring that more Americans are able 
        to access health care coverage.
            (2) The ACA provided for the establishment of new State-
        based or, in the absence of State action, federally facilitated 
        marketplaces to help connect consumers with health insurance 
        options and coverage.
            (3) As part of the regulatory guidance related to the 
        marketplaces, the Department of Health and Human Services 
        provided consumers with an option to enroll in health insurance 
        coverage directly, known as direct enrollment.
            (4) The Department of Health and Human Services also 
        permits enrollment through an Exchange with the assistance of 
        an agent or broker, including permitting consumers to select a 
        product on the Internet website of an agent or broker.
            (5) Consumers should be permitted a permanent option to 
        enroll directly with a qualified health plan issuer, or 
        Internet website of an agent or broker, in a manner consistent 
        with the marketplaces and as long as certain consumer 
        protections are followed.
            (6) Consumers should continue to be informed that other 
        health insurance products are available and offered.
            (7) Consumers should be notified of their eligibility 
        determination for coverage through the Exchange Internet 
        website for premium tax credits and cost sharing reductions.
            (8) Direct enrollment is not a new idea and has proven to 
        work successfully in getting seniors coverage through the 
        Medicare Advantage program and the Medicare Part D program.
            (9) Providing a permanent pathway for consumers to directly 
        enroll with a qualified health plan issuer or the certified 
        Internet website of an agent or broker gives such consumers 
        another option to sign up for health insurance coverage and 
        takes the United States one step closer to achieving the goals 
        of the ACA.
    (b) Direct Enrollment.--Section 1312 of the Patient Protection and 
Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18032) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
    ``(g) Direct Enrollment.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
        enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall issue 
        guidelines and necessary operational specifications to provide 
        for the establishment of a permanent pathway to enable 
        individuals to enroll in qualified health plans through--
                    ``(A) in the case of a State with a State-based 
                Exchange, the Exchange, or if determined appropriate by 
                the State, a health insurance issuer, a certified agent 
                or broker, or a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
                Services certified Internet web-based broker or entity; 
                or
                    ``(B) in the case of a State with no State 
                Exchange, the Federal Exchange, a health insurance 
                issuer, an agent or broker certified by the Federal 
                Exchange, or a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 
                certified Internet web-based broker or entity.
            ``(2) Availability.--Guidelines and operational 
        capabilities issued under paragraph (1) shall be available to 
        consumers and applicable health insurance issuers and entities 
        for any enrollment period required under section 1311(c)(6).''.
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