PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.

BASIC Health Plan Act

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Oct 5, 2000

Basic Access to Secure Health Insurance Coverage Health Plan (BASIC Health Plan) Act - Title I: Affordable Health Insurance for Parents and Children - Amends titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) require State Medicaid plans to provide that the State will provide medical assistance or health coverage under CHIP for certain families in accordance with specified conditions; and (2) require, with respect to a State that does not provide such medical assistance for such families, to provide health coverage under CHIP for them through an amendment to its State CHIP plan. Provides for enhancing matching Medicaid and CHIP funds for medical and for child health assistance.(Sec. 101) Makes the CHIP program into a permanent entitlement program, and makes necessary appropriations.(Sec. 102) Amends SSA titles XIX and XXI to require a State to provide Medicaid for aliens lawfully residing in the United States and otherwise eligible for such assistance.(Sec. 103) Amends SSA titles XIX and XXI to provide Medicaid and CHIP coverage of children through age 20 (currently, through age 19).(Sec. 104) Amends SSA title XIX to: (1) establish State requirements for determining the eligibility of individuals under age 20 for Medicaid in the case of States with a State CHIP plan; (2) qualify additional entities to determine Medicaid presumptive eligibility for pregnant women; and (3) provide for automatic reassessment of CHIP and Medicaid eligibility for children losing it.Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require provision of Medicaid and CHIP applications and information under the school lunch program.(Sec. 105) Amends SSA title XXI to: (1) include vision, hearing, and dental services for children as basic services required for benchmark-equivalent coverage; and (2) prohibit limitation on the scope or the duration for Federal Employees' Health Benefit Program-equivalent children's health insurance coverage.(Sec. 106) Amends SSA title XIX with regard to assuring coverage for certain low-income families to provide for elimination of the 100 hour rule and other Aid to Families and Dependent Children program-related eligibility restrictions.(Sec. 107) Amends SSA title XXI with respect to payments to States to impose restrictions on expenditures for marketing activities in order for them to be considered reasonable costs to administer the State's CHIP plan.Amends SSA titles XIX and XXI to prohibit payment to the States with respect to any amounts expended for an entity that receives payments under the State Medicaid or CHIP plan unless: (1) no person with an ownership or control interest in the entity is a person that is debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from participating in procurement or non-procurement activities under the Federal Acquisition Regulation; and (2) such entity has not entered into an employment, consulting, or other agreement with such a person for items or services material to its plan obligations.(Sec. 108) Authorizes the Secretary to award demonstration grants to up to seven States (or other qualified entities) to conduct innovative programs designed to improve outreach to homeless individuals and families under such programs and their provision of services. Authorizes appropriations.Title II: Access to Affordable Care for all Americans - Amends SSA title XIX to require State Medicaid plans to extend Medicaid to certain single individuals not otherwise eligible for medical assistance whose income is at least a certain percentage of the poverty line for each fiscal year beginning with FY 2003 through 2008.(Sec. 201) Amends SSA title XXI with respect to require similar coverage under CHIP for certain single individuals.Title III: Additional Provisions - Amends SSA title XIX to require each State with an approved Medicaid plan to make Medicaid or CHIP available to any individual or family with income exceeding 300 percent of the poverty line through payment of a premium determined in accordance with specified guidelines.(Sec. 301) Amends SSA title XXI to make CHIP available through premium payments to an individual or family for whom a State does not make such coverage available.Requires a covered employer to inform each employee who is not eligible for the employer's health benefits coverage of the opportunity to purchase such health benefits coverage under Medicaid or CHIP.

Read the summary on Congress.gov
PlainBill analysis is coming later. This page presents official source data. We have not yet published a PlainBill explanation for this bill.

Who introduced it

Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA] · D–MA

Committees

  • Finance Committee
0 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

    Actions

    A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

    1. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

    2. Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR 10/6/2000 S9957-9958)

    3. Introduced in Senate

    Bill text & related measures

    Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

    Related bills identified by Congress.gov

    No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

    Source last updated: Aug 20, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

    Explore the bill from different angles

    Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

    Neutral evidence review

    Objective

    Analyze S.3172 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

    View full prompt & sources
    Fairness and public impact

    Progressive lens

    Examine S.3172 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

    View full prompt & sources
    Institutions and government scope

    Conservative lens

    Examine S.3172 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

    View full prompt & sources
    Individual rights and government power

    Liberty lens

    Examine S.3172 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

    View full prompt & sources