,,ii #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #ahhf ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #bj1 #bjac,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,udall of ,colorado1 ,mr4 ,king1 ,ms4 ,heitkamp1 and ,ms4 ,landrieu7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,finance ,a ,,bill ,to ensure that individuals who attempted to1 or who are enrolled in1 qualified health plans offered through an ,exchange have continuity of coverage and to require ,exchanges to make coverage under qualified health plans retroactive to ,january #a1 #bjad4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,coverage ,protection ,act4 #b4 ,authority to provide timely coverage for individuals who were unable to enroll in a qualified health plan 7a7 ,in general ,in the case of an individual who enrolls in a qualified health plan offered through an ,exchange established under title ,i of the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act 7,public ,law #aaa-adh7 before ,february #a1 #bjad1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall require that the issuer of the plan treat such individual as enrolled in such plan as of ,december #bc1 #bjac1 if the following conditions are met3 7#a7 ,attempted timely enrollment ,the individual submits1 not later than ,january #ca1 #bjad1 an attestation 7in such form and manner as the ,secretary may require7 that the individual-- 7,a7 made reasonable1 good-faith attempts1 but was unable1 to successfully enroll in such a plan through an ,exchange before ,december #bc1 #bjac2 or 7,b7 was initially determined through healthcare4gov to be eligible to enroll in a ,medicaid plan under title ,,xix of the ,social ,security ,act but is not eligible to so enroll in such a ,medicaid plan and1 because of such incorrect eligibility determination1 was subsequently unable to enroll in a qualified health plan before ,december #bc1 #bjac4 7#b7 ,payment of premiums ,the individual pays to the health insurance issuer issuing the qualified health plan in which such individual is enrolled 7either directly or through the ,exchange7 any applicable premiums owed by such individual for enrollment in the plan taking into account the amount of any premium assistance made available under section #cf;,b of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf4 7b7 ,application for purposes of premium assistance1 reduced cost-,sharing1 and individual responsibility ,coverage provided under a qualified health plan for ,january and ,february of #bjad under subsection 7a7 shall be counted as coverage under such a plan by or through an ,exchange for such months for all purposes1 including the following3 7#a7 ,premium assistance ,section #cf;,b of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf4 7#b7 ,cost-sharing reductions ,section #adjb of the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahjga74 7#c7 ,individual responsibility requirement ,section #ejjj;,a of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf4 #c4 ,retroactive coverage and premium assistance ,section #acaa7;c7 of the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahjca7;c77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7#g7 ,state option to make initial coverage retroactive 7,a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 the ,secretary shall permit a ,state1 at the option of the ,state1 to make coverage under a qualified health plan retroactive to ,january #a1 #bjad1 with respect to an individual who enrolls in such plan through the ,state ,exchange 7or the ,federal ,exchange in the case of a ,state that has not established a ,state ,exchange7 during the period established by the ,state under subparagraph 7,b74 ,any health care items or services provided to such enrollee in ,january of #bjad shall be covered retroactively under the plan as if the enrollee had been enrolled on ,january #a of such year4 7,b7 ,period ,the period established under this subparagraph shall be the period beginning on ,december #bc1 #bjac1 and ending on a date determined by the ,state1 but in no event later than ,january #ca1 #bjad1 except that a ,state that has an enrollment deadline that is prior to ,december #bc1 #bjac1 may modify the period under this subparagraph to encompass such deadline4 7,c7 ,tax credits and cost sharing assistance ,if an individual is determined to be eligible for a tax credit under section #cf;,b of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf or cost-sharing assistance under section #adjb1 but such determination has not been verified by the date on which the individual enrolls in the qualified health plan involved1 the credit and assistance shall be applied on a retroactive basis to ,january #a1 #bjad1 and the initial premium payment amount shall be offset to include such credit and assistance amounts for such month4 4 #d4 ,transitional use of receipt of insurance payment as alternative to health insurance card for ,exchange plans 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall require a health insurance issuer that offers a qualified health plan through an ,exchange under title ,i of the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act 7,public ,law #aaa-adh7-- 7#a7 to allow in-network providers in such plan to treat1 for purposes of coverage under the plan1 a receipt of payment of premiums by an individual enrolled under the plan for ,january or ,february #bjad who has not received a health insurance card from the issuer in the same manner as if such receipt were such a health insurance card issued to such individual by the issuer for services furnished during such month2 and 7#b7 to notify such in-network providers of the policy under paragraph 7#a74 7b7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this section shall be construed as precluding a health care provider from directly seeking to verify the status of the enrollment of an individual in a qualified health plan offered through an ,exchange by contacting the ,exchange or the issuer of such plan4