Health insurance reform; revises State's laws. (SB921)
Introduced By
Sen. John Watkins (R-Midlothian)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
✓ |
Passed Committee |
✓ |
Passed House |
✓ |
Passed Senate |
✗ |
Signed by Governor |
✗ |
Became Law |
Description
Health insurance reform. Revises Virginia's laws pertaining to the regulation of health insurance and related products in order to be consistent with relevant requirements of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that become effective on January 1, 2014. These requirements include addressing premium rate restrictions on health benefit plans providing individual and small group health insurance coverage, prohibiting discrimination based on health status, prohibiting adjustments in the cost of coverage based on genetic information, requiring individual and small group health insurance coverage to include the essential health benefits as required by the PPACA, limiting waiting periods for health plans offering group health insurance coverage to 90 days, providing for participation in clinical trials, and authorizing health carriers to provide for wellness programs. The measure removes provisions relating to the standard and essential health benefits plans because they include coverage for services that may or may not comport with the essential health benefit package, and enforcement of the existing requirement would conflict with the PPACA. Though not specifically required to maintain conformity with federal law, the measure (i) keeps the existing limits for maximum size for a small group at 50 employees until 2016 and (ii) authorizes the State Corporation Commission to establish geographic rating areas. The bill removes the sunsets that were placed in provisions affected by or enacted as a result of the PPACA, including the external review processes. The measure is effective January 1, 2014. Read the Bill »
Outcome
History
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 01/07/2013 | Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/13 13103460D |
| 01/07/2013 | Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor |
| 01/14/2013 | Reported from Commerce and Labor (10-Y 5-N) (see vote tally) |
| 01/16/2013 | Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally) |
| 01/17/2013 | Read second time and engrossed |
| 01/18/2013 | Read third time and passed Senate (35-Y 2-N) (see vote tally) |
| 01/18/2013 | Reconsideration of passage agreed to by Senate (38-Y 0-N) (see vote tally) |
| 01/18/2013 | Passed Senate (32-Y 5-N) (see vote tally) |
| 01/25/2013 | Placed on Calendar |
| 01/25/2013 | Read first time |
| 01/25/2013 | Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor |
| 02/12/2013 | Reported from Commerce and Labor (13-Y 9-N) (see vote tally) |
| 02/14/2013 | Read second time |
| 02/14/2013 | Impact statement from SCC (SB921) |
| 02/15/2013 | Read third time |
| 02/15/2013 | Passed House (62-Y 38-N) |
| 02/15/2013 | VOTE: PASSAGE (62-Y 38-N) (see vote tally) |
| 03/04/2013 | Enrolled |
| 03/04/2013 | Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB921ER) |
| 03/04/2013 | Signed by President |
| 03/05/2013 | Signed by Speaker |
| 03/13/2013 | Impact statement from SCC (SB921ER) |
| 03/25/2013 | Governor's recommendation received by Senate |
| 04/02/2013 | Placed on Calendar |
| 04/03/2013 | Passed by temporarily |
| 04/03/2013 | Passed by for the day |
| 04/03/2013 | Communicated to Governor |
| 05/03/2013 | G Vetoed by Governor |