House Republicans Pass Bill to Expand Healthcare Freedom

The House passed legislation on Wednesday aimed at expanding healthcare freedom for all Americans.

The House passed H.R. 3799, the Custom Health Option and Individual Care Expense (CHOICE) Arrangements Act, a bill that would offer Americans more healthcare options.

Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), the sponsor of the bill, said in reaction to the bill’s passage:

The cost of healthcare, and the ever-growing burden of paperwork, has become a massive hardship for both employers and employees. The CHOICE Arrangements Act puts employees in the driver’s seat when it comes to picking their health care plan, and lets employers financially support their decision. This is a common-sense solution. I’m proud to have earned the support of my colleagues to pass this legislation and I look forward to continuing the fight to lower the healthcare costs for American families and small businesses.

The CHOICE Arrangements Act would allow employers to provide tax-advantaged funds to their employees to purchase qualified medical expenses (QMEs). A Trump administration rule expanded HRAs to allow employees to purchase their own health insurance plan.

The CHOICE Arrangements offers benefits to both employees and employers, including:

• Defined contributions to purchase health insurance or QMEs
• Employer-contributed funds are excluded from income and payroll taxes
• No restrictions on business size or annual contribution limits
• Arrangements can be made for different groups, including part-time full-time, seasonal, employees in different locations, etc.

Hern’s office said in a fact sheet that 87 percent of small businesses want another option to help their employees get health insurance without offering a traditional group insurance plan.

The CHOICE Arrangements Act would also allow Americans to take their health insurance with them if they leave their job. Hern’s office explained in a release:

• 90% of individuals believe you should be able to take your health plan with you when you leave a job.
•  80% of individuals would prefer a monthly contribution from their employer to purchase their own health plan.
• 77% of individuals report their health plan is a primary reason they stay at their current job
•  75% of businesses with fewer than 200 employees offered only one health plan option.

Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) cheered that his bill, the Self-Insurance Protection Act, was included in the legislation. His bill, which is a part of the larger package that is H.R. 3799, prevents federal regulators from overregulating stop-loss insurance.

“By allowing the free market to shield Americans and their employers from catastrophic health bills and the health insurance mess created by Obamacare, we can help small businesses thrive and main street economies flourish,” Good said in a written statement after the vote. “I am very pleased that my Republican colleagues voted in support of my efforts to fight back against Washington bureaucrats and their overregulation of health insurance.”

During a House Rules Committee hearing on the bill this week, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) accused Republicans of chipping away at Obamacare with H.R. 3799: