Rep. Bera Introduces Two Bills to Cut Health Care Costs and Expand Coverage to Millions

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- Rep. Ami Bera, D-California, issued the following news release:

Representative Ami Bera (D-CA) introduced two bills today to expand access to affordable health care, simplify enrollment, and empower States to innovate. The two bills, the Pathway to Universal Coverage Act and the Easy Enrollment Act, are the second step in Bera's plan to build on the progress of the Affordable Care Act.

Last year Congressman Bera helped lead both the New Democrat Coalition and the Problem Solvers Caucus in releasing their plans to stabilize the individual marketplace and bring down costs for all Americans. The next step to improve health care is working towards universal coverage and further reducing costs by increasing flexibility and the choices offered to consumers.

"As a doctor, I know that health care is extremely personal," said Congressman Bera. "Too many hardworking families have been left out or left behind by premiums and deductibles they can't afford. Americans deserve a plan that protects their current health care coverage, expands enrollment, and reduces costs for everyone. The Pathway to Universal Coverage Act and the Easy Enrollment Act are two steps we can take right now to give affordable coverage to millions."

The Pathway to Universal Coverage Act would provide grants for States to pilot opt-out insurance coverage for individuals eligible for premium assistance or Medicaid. The bill gives States the tools they need to expand coverage, including access to data, streamlined enrollment and new reporting to identify the uninsured. It also contains strong consumer protections, only allowing opt-out enrollment for people with no upfront costs and holds those auto-enrolled harmless from recoupment if their incomes change. Individuals would be given 60 days to opt-out of receiving coverage - ensuring complete consumer choice in their health care decisions. More than half of uninsured people eligible for financial help could have qualified for a health plan that required no premium in 2018. Using an opt-out model, like what has been successful for retirement plans, could have expanded coverage to at least 4 million Americans.

The Easy Enrollment Act would help maximize health insurance coverage by aligning tax season with health care open enrollment. Evidence suggests that the current timing of enrollment, during the holiday season, is when people are most over-burdened and financially strained. This could be limiting the number of healthy people signing up for coverage. Shifting the enrollment period to tax season when people have up-to-date financial information means families can make more informed decisions when they aren't under stress trying to make ends meet. This also simplifies individuals' interactions with government - once a year you would pay taxes and sign up for health care coverage.

Right now, more than 25 million Americans remain uninsured and the Trump administration's actions have triggered double-digit premium increases.