Index for HR3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act

To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.

Mr. Dingell (for himself, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Waxman, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Stark, Mr. Pallone, and Mr. Andrews) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

(a) In general.—Section 1905 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d), as amended by sections 1701(a)(3)(B) and 1711(a), is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) in paragraph (27), by striking “and” at the end;

(B) by redesignating paragraph (28) as paragraph (29); and

(C) by inserting after paragraph (27) the following new paragraph:

“(28) nurse home visitation services (as defined in subsection (aa)); and”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(aa) The term ‘nurse home visitation services’ means home visits by trained nurses to families with a first-time pregnant woman, or a child (under 2 years of age), who is eligible for medical assistance under this title, but only, to the extent determined by the Secretary based upon evidence, that such services are effective in one or more of the following:

“(1) Improving maternal or child health and pregnancy outcomes or increasing birth intervals between pregnancies.

“(2) Reducing the incidence of child abuse, neglect, and injury, improving family stability (including reduction in the incidence of intimate partner violence), or reducing maternal and child involvement in the criminal justice system.

“(3) Increasing economic self-sufficiency, employment advancement, school-readiness, and educational achievement, or reducing dependence on public assistance.”.

(b) Effective date.—The amendments made by this section shall apply to services furnished on or after January 1, 2010.

(c) Construction.—Nothing in the amendments made by this section shall be construed as affecting the ability of a State under title XIX or XXI of the Social Security Act to provide nurse home visitation services as part of another class of items and services falling within the definition of medical assistance or child health assistance under the respective title, or as an administrative expenditure for which payment is made under section 1903(a) or 2105(a) of such Act, respectively, on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.