Guaranteed Health Coverage for Pre-Existing Conditions Act of 2014

“2701. Prohibition of preexisting condition exclusions

“(a) In General—A group health plan or a health insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage may not impose any preexisting condition exclusion with respect to such plan or coverage.

“(b) Definitions—For purposes of this section:

“(1) Preexisting condition exclusion

“(A) In general—The term preexisting condition exclusion means, with respect to a group health plan or health insurance coverage, a limitation or exclusion of benefits relating to a condition based on the fact that the condition was present before the date of enrollment in such plan or for such coverage, whether or not any medical advice, diagnosis, care, or treatment was recommended or received before such date.

“(B) Treatment of genetic information—Genetic information shall not be treated as a preexisting condition in the absence of a diagnosis of the condition related to such information.

“(2) Date of enrollment—The term date of enrollment means, with respect to an individual covered under a group health plan or health insurance coverage, the date of enrollment of the individual in the plan or coverage or, if earlier, the first day of the waiting period for such enrollment.

“(3) Waiting period—The term waiting period means, with respect to a group health plan and an individual who is a potential participant or beneficiary in the plan, the period that must pass with respect to the individual before the individual is eligible to be covered for benefits under the terms of the plan.”

“2746. Prohibition of preexisting condition exclusions or other discrimination based on health status

“The provisions of section 2701 shall apply to health insurance coverage offered to individuals by a health insurance issuer in the individual market in the same manner as it applies to health insurance coverage offered by a health insurance issuer in the group market.”

“2711. Guaranteed availability of coverage

“(a) Guaranteed issuance of coverage in the group market—Subject to subsection (b), each health insurance issuer that offers health insurance coverage in the group market in a State shall accept every employer and every individual in a group in the State that applies for such coverage.

“(b) Enrollment

“(1) Restriction—A health insurance issuer described in subsection (a) may restrict enrollment in coverage described in such subsection to open or special enrollment periods.

“(2) Establishment—A health insurance issuer described in subsection (a) shall establish special enrollment periods for qualifying events (as such term is defined in section 603 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974).”

“2741. Guaranteed availability of coverage

“The provisions of section 2711 shall apply to health insurance coverage offered to individuals by a health insurance issuer in the individual market in the same manner as such provisions apply to health insurance coverage offered to employers by a health insurance issuer in connection with health insurance coverage in the group market. For purposes of this section, the Secretary shall treat any reference of the word employer in such section as a reference to the term individual.”