,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cdej  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #ab1 #bjac 
,mrs4 ,ellmers introduced the following 
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and
 in addition to the ,committee on ,ways 
and ,means1 for a period to be          
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,patient       
,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act  
to allow individuals to opt out of the  
minimum required health benefits by     
permitting health insurance issuers to  
offer qualified health plans that offer 
alternative benefits to the minimum     
essential health benefits otherwise     
required1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,health ,insurance ,freedom ,act of 
#bjac4  #b4 ,permitting health insurance
 issuers to offer qualified health plans

 with alternative health benefits so    
individuals can opt out of minimum      
essential health benefits  7a7 ,in      
general ,section #acja of the ,patient  
,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahjba7 is amended--     
7#a7 in subsection 7a77#a77;,b71 by     
inserting subject to paragraph 7#c71    
after 7,b72 and  7#b7 by adding at the  
end the following new paragraph3  7#c7  
,permitting alternative benefits  7,a7  
,in general ,notwithstanding subsection 
7a77#a77;,b7 or any other provision of  
this ,act1 a health insurance issuer may
 offer1 both through an ,exchange and   
outside of an ,exchange1 health         
insurance coverage that--  7i7 provides 
the essential health benefits package   
described in subsection 7a7 of section  
#acjb1 other than the minimum benefits  
required under subsection 7b7 of such   
section and the level of coverage       
required under subsection 7c7 of such   
section2 and  7ii7 meets such ,federal  
and ,state benefit requirements as      

otherwise applied as of ,october #a1    
#bjac1 in the ,state in which the       
coverage is offered4  7,b7 ,treatment   
7i7 ,in general ,except as provided in  
paragraph 7#b71 health insurance        
coverage that is offered under paragraph
 7#a7 shall be treated as a qualified   
health plan for purposes of this ,act   
7and the amendments made by this ,act71 
including constituting minimum essential
 coverage for purposes of section       
#ejjj;,a7f77#a7 of the ,internal        
,revenue ,code of #aihf4  7ii7 ,not     
eligible for subsidies2 not treated as a
 bronze1 silver1 gold1 or platinum plan 
,such health insurance coverage shall   
not--  7,i7 be treated as a qualified   
health plan for purposes of applying    
section #cf;,b of the ,internal ,revenue
 ,code of #aihf and section #adjb of    
this ,act2 and  7,,ii7 be treated as a  
bronze1 silver1 gold1 or platinum plan  
or be taken into account in applying    
section #cf;,b7b77#c77;,b7 of such      
,code4  4  7b7 ,effective date ,the     

amendments made by subsection 7a7 shall 
be effective as if included in the      
enactment of the ,patient ,protection   
and ,affordable ,care ,act4