ACA OUTREACH Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2292 To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide funding for American Health Benefit Exchanges navigator programs and outreach and promotional activities. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 12, 2019 Ms. WATERS (for herself, Ms. NORTON, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. COHEN, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mrs. DEMINGS, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. COX of California, Mrs. LURIA, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Ms. MENG, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, and Ms. TLAIB) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide funding for American Health Benefit Ex- changes navigator programs and outreach and pro- motional activities. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Affordable Care Act 4 Outreach for the Uninsured, Transformative Recruitment, 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:25 Apr 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2292.IH H2292 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 2292 IH and Enrollment Action for Compassionate Healthcare Act 1 of 2019’’ or the ‘‘ACA OUTREACH Act’’. 2 SEC. 2. FUNDING AMERICAN HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGES 3 NAVIGATOR PROGRAMS AND OUTREACH AND 4 PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES. 5 (a) FUNDING FOR NAVIGATOR PROGRAM.—Section 6 1311(i) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 7 (42 U.S.C. 18031(i)) is amended by adding at the end 8 the following new paragraph: 9 ‘‘(7) APPROPRIATIONS.—Out of any funds in 10 the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there is 11 appropriated to the Secretary of Health and Human 12 Services $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 13 through 2022 for navigator programs under this 14 subsection.’’. 15 (b) FEDERAL EXCHANGES OUTREACH AND PRO- 16 MOTIONAL ACTIVITIES.—Section 1321(c) of the Patient 17 Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18041(c)) 18 is amended by adding at the end the following new para- 19 graph: 20 ‘‘(3) OUTREACH AND PROMOTIONAL ACTIVI- 21 TIES.— 22 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of an Ex- 23 change established or operated by the Secretary 24 pursuant to this subsection, the Secretary may 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:25 Apr 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2292.IH H2292 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 2292 IH carry out outreach and promotional activities as 1 necessary and appropriate for the successful op- 2 eration of such Exchange, including for pur- 3 poses of informing potential enrollees in quali- 4 fied health plans offered through the Exchange 5 of the availability of coverage under such plans 6 and financial assistance for coverage under 7 such plans. 8 ‘‘(B) DIVERSE CONSTITUENCIES.—The 9 Secretary shall carry out any outreach and pro- 10 motional activities under this paragraph in a 11 manner that reaches diverse constituencies, in- 12 cluding minority, rural, and underserved com- 13 munities; people with disabilities; young adults; 14 and individuals who are likely to be uninsured. 15 ‘‘(C) FUNDING.—Out of any funds in the 16 Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there is 17 appropriated to the Secretary of Health and 18 Human Services $100,000,000 for each of fis- 19 cal years 2019 through 2022 to carry out this 20 paragraph.’’. 21 (c) STATE GRANTS FOR STATE-RUN EXCHANGES 22 OUTREACH AND PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES.—Section 23 1311 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:25 Apr 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2292.IH H2292 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 2292 IH (42 U.S.C. 18031) is amended by adding at the end the 1 following new subsection: 2 ‘‘(l) STATE-RUN EXCHANGES OUTREACH AND PRO- 3 MOTIONAL ACTIVITIES.— 4 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 5 out a grant program under which the Secretary 6 awards grants to States that are electing States 7 under section 1321(b) that have established Ex- 8 changes. Each such grant awarded to such a State 9 that has established an Exchange shall be used by 10 such Exchange for purposes of outreach and pro- 11 motional activities as necessary and appropriate for 12 the successful operation of the Exchange, including 13 for purposes of informing potential enrollees in 14 qualified health plans offered through the Exchange 15 of the availability of coverage under such plans and 16 financial assistance for coverage under such plans. 17 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY.— 18 ‘‘(A) APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a 19 grant under paragraph (1), a State described in 20 such paragraph shall submit an application to 21 the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 22 and containing such information as specified by 23 the Secretary. In establishing the process for 24 States to apply for such grants, the Secretary 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:25 Apr 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2292.IH H2292 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HR 2292 IH shall ensure that applications are processed in 1 a timely manner. 2 ‘‘(B) DIVERSE CONSTITUENCIES.—To be 3 eligible for a grant under paragraph (1), a 4 State described in such paragraph shall provide 5 such assurances as are required by the Sec- 6 retary to ensure that the Exchange established 7 by such State carries out outreach and pro- 8 motional activities under such grant in a man- 9 ner that reaches diverse constituencies, includ- 10 ing minority, rural, and underserved commu- 11 nities; people with disabilities; young adults; 12 and individuals who are likely to be uninsured. 13 ‘‘(3) FUNDING.—Out of any funds in the 14 Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there is appro- 15 priated to the Secretary of Health and Human Serv- 16 ices $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 17 through 2022 to carry out this subsection.’’. 18 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:25 Apr 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2292.IH H2292 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS