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I
116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 6532
To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require the
Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a special enrollment
period during the COVID–19 emergency period and to carry out outreach
and educational activities, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 17, 2020
Mr. DOGGETT (for himself, Ms. WILD, and Mrs. BUSTOS) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services
to establish a special enrollment period during the
COVID–19 emergency period and to carry out outreach
and educational activities, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘COVID Special Enroll-
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ment Act of 2020’’.
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SEC. 2. SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD THROUGH EX-
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CHANGES; FEDERAL EXCHANGE OUTREACH
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AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
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(a) SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD THROUGH EX-
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CHANGES.—Section 1311(c) of the Patient Protection and
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Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18031(c)) is amended—
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(1) in paragraph (6)—
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(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking at the
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end ‘‘and’’;
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(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking at
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the end the period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
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(C) by adding at the end the following new
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subparagraph:
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‘‘(E) subject to subparagraph (B) of para-
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graph (8), the special enrollment period de-
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scribed in subparagraph (A) of such para-
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graph.’’; and
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(2) by adding at the end the following new
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paragraph:
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‘‘(8) SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR CER-
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TAIN PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.—
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall,
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subject to subparagraph (B), require an Ex-
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change to provide—
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‘‘(i) for a special enrollment period
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during the emergency period described in
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•HR 6532 IH
section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Secu-
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rity Act—
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‘‘(I) which shall begin on the
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date that is one week after the date of
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the enactment of this paragraph and
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which, in the case of an Exchange es-
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tablished or operated by the Secretary
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within a State pursuant to section
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1321(c), shall be an 8-week period;
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and
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‘‘(II) during which any individual
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who is otherwise eligible to enroll in a
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qualified health plan through the Ex-
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change may enroll in such a qualified
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health plan; and
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‘‘(ii) that, in the case of an individual
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who enrolls in a qualified health plan
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through the Exchange during such enroll-
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ment period, the coverage period under
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such plan shall begin, at the option of the
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individual, on April 1, 2020, or on the first
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day of the month following the day the in-
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dividual selects a plan through such special
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enrollment period.
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‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—The requirement of
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subparagraph (A) shall not apply to a State-op-
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erated or State-established Exchange if such
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Exchange, prior to the date of the enactment of
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this paragraph, established or otherwise pro-
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vided for a special enrollment period to address
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access to coverage under qualified health plans
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offered through such Exchange during the
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emergency
period
described
in
section
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1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act.’’.
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(b) FEDERAL EXCHANGE OUTREACH
AND EDU-
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CATIONAL ACTIVITIES.—Section 1321(c) of the Patient
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Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18041(c))
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is amended by adding at the end the following new para-
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graph:
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‘‘(3) OUTREACH
AND
EDUCATIONAL
ACTIVI-
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TIES.—
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of an Ex-
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change established or operated by the Secretary
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within a State pursuant to this subsection, the
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Secretary shall carry out outreach and edu-
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cational activities for purposes of informing po-
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tential enrollees in qualified health plans offered
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through the Exchange of the availability of cov-
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erage under such plans and financial assistance
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•HR 6532 IH
for coverage under such plans. Such outreach
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and educational activities shall be provided in a
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manner that is culturally and linguistically ap-
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propriate to the needs of the populations being
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served by the Exchange (including hard-to-
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reach populations, such as racial and sexual mi-
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norities, limited English proficient populations,
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and young adults).
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‘‘(B) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.—No
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funds appropriated under this paragraph shall
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be used for expenditures for promoting non-
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ACA compliant health insurance coverage.
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‘‘(C) NON-ACA COMPLIANT HEALTH INSUR-
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ANCE
COVERAGE.—For purposes of subpara-
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graph (B):
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‘‘(i) The term ‘non-ACA compliant
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health insurance coverage’ means health
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insurance coverage, or a group health plan,
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that is not a qualified health plan.
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‘‘(ii) Such term includes the following:
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‘‘(I) An association health plan.
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‘‘(II) Short-term limited duration
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insurance.
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‘‘(D) FUNDING.—Out of any funds in the
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Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there are
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hereby appropriated $25,000,000 to carry out
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this paragraph. Funds appropriated under this
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subparagraph shall remain available until ex-
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pended.’’.
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(c) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary of Health and
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Human Services may implement the provisions of (includ-
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ing amendments made by) this section through subregu-
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latory guidance, program instruction, or otherwise.
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Æ
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