PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S275-293)
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jan 22, 2001
Health Assurance Act of 2001 - Amends provisions of the Social Security Act to increase, by revising income requirements, the number of individuals eligible for: (1) Medicaid coverage; and (2) a State's child health assistance program. Provides grants to States to develop and establish choice systems change initiatives for long-term care.Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to mandate: (1) a set of rules for determining the actuarial value of the coverage offered by a plan or group health insurance coverage; and (2) a target actuarial value. Mandates model regulations specifying standards for making qualified group health plans available to small employers. Allows a State to implement more stringent standards, so long as the State standards do not prevent the offering of at least one plan that provides standard coverage. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose taxes on the failure to comply with requirements.Revises Medicare provisions to cover: (1) annual pap smears, pelvic exams, and mammography screening for women, with a coinsurance waiver; and (2) insulin pumps for the computerized delivery of insulin to certain Type I diabetics in lieu of multiple daily manual insulin injections.Authorizes appropriations to carry out the healthy start program under the PHSA Establishes: (1) a comprehensive school health education and prevention program for elementary and secondary schools; and (2) a comprehensive early childhood health education program.Sets forth provisions concerning a patient's right to decline medical treatment.Establishes: (1) a program to provide general medicine practice grants; (2) the Trust Fund for Medical Treatment Outcomes Research; (3) a State-based medical error reporting system; and (4) the National Fund for Health Research.Provides a tax credit for qualified long-term care premiums.
People & committees
Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA] · R–PA
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S275-293)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S269-275, S293-294)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 19, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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