PATIENT's Health Care Act of 2013
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Health.
Providing Accountability and Transparency to Incentivize Economically Necessary Transitions in Health Care Act of 2013 or the PATIENT's Health Care Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to health savings accounts (HSAs), to:
allow a new tax deduction for premiums paid for a high deductible health care plan;
repeal the requirement that an individual making a tax deductible contribution to an HSA be covered by a high deductible health care plan;
increase the maximum HSA contribution level;
allow Medicare beneficiaries to contribute to an HSA;
allow a rollover of HSA amounts to a Medicare Advantage Medical Savings Account (MSA);
allow a transfer of a flexible spending arrangement balance to an HSA upon separation from employment;
allow payments of high deductible health plan premiums from HSAs;
repeal the prohibition against payment of over-the-counter drugs from HSAs, Archer MSAs, and health flexible spending and reimbursement arrangements;
allow payment of long-term care premiums from health flexible spending arrangements;
allow a rollover of Archer MSA and HSA amounts to adult children of an account holder;
allow a carryover of up to $500 of unused health benefits in cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements;
allow Medicare beneficiaries to contribute to a Medicare Advantage MSA; and
establish child health savings accounts and allow tax deductible contributions to such accounts.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to permit the operation of individual and group health insurance plans across state lines. Sets forth requirements and limitations applicable to issuers of such plans in the primary and secondary states governing such issuers.
Extends through December 31, 2016, the Preexisting Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP program) established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on July 15, 2013. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 23, 2013: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 113th Congress (2013-14), 296 of the 9,091 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.3 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Dennis Ross (R-FL) introduced it on July 15, 2013. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on July 15, 2013, 4805 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 4797 days ago, on July 23, 2013.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 113th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2015 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers