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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jan 26, 2015
Small Business Health Relief Act of 2015
Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that: (1) impose fines on large employers (those with 50 or more full-time employees) who fail to offer their full-time employees the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential health insurance coverage, and (2) require large employers to file a report with the Department of the Treasury on health insurance coverage provided to their full-time employees.
Repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that: (1) limit the annual deductible on health plans offered in the small group market, (2) deem catastrophic plans to meet essential health benefits coverage requirements for certain individuals, and (3) impose an annual fee on health insurance entities.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Deems high deductible health plans to meet essential health benefits coverage requirements if the enrollee has established a health savings account.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal the limitation on premium rate variance by age in the individual or small group market.
Repeals the prohibitions on payments for over-the-counter medications from health savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and health flexible spending arrangements.
Repeals the $2,500 annual limit on employee contributions by salary reduction to a health flexible spending arrangement under a cafeteria plan.
Allows a health plan to maintain its status as a grandfathered health plan regardless of any modification to cost-sharing, employer contribution rates, or covered benefits. Makes this allowance effective as if included in PPACA.
People & committees
Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH] · R–OH
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 12, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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