,i  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hcj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,february #f1 #bjbc  
,mr4 ,carter of ,georgia 7for himself1  
,ms4 ,barragn1 ,mrs4 ,miller-,meeks1    
,ms4 ,de,gette1 ,mr4 ,fitzpatrick1 ,mrs4
 ,watson ,coleman1 and ,ms4 ,clarke of  
,new ,york7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce  ,a 
,,bill  ,to amend title ,,xxvii of the  
,public ,health ,service ,act to apply  
additional payments1 discounts1 and     
other financial assistance towards the  
cost-sharing requirements of health     
insurance plans1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,help ,ensure ,lower       
,patient ,copays ,act or the ,,help     
,copays ,act4  #b4 ,application of      
additional payments1 discounts1 and     
other financial assistance toward       
cost-sharing requirements  7a7          
,application toward cost-,sharing       
requirements ,section #bgae7;g77#a7 of  

the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db  
,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;gg-#ae7;g77#a77 is       
amended by adding at the end the        
following3 ,in developing the standards 
for defining the terms deductible1      
co-insurance1 co-payment1 and           
out-of-pocket limit 7as described in    
paragraph 7#b771 such standards shall   
provide that such terms include amounts 
paid by1 or on behalf of1 an individual 
enrolled in a group health plan or group
 or individual health insurance         
coverage1 including third-party         
payments1 financial assistance1         
discounts1 product vouchers1 and other  
reductions in out-of-pocket expenses and
 that such amounts shall be counted     
toward such deductible1 co-insurance1   
co-payment1 or limit1 respectively44    
7b7 ,conforming amendments  7#a7 ,,ppaca
 ,section #acjb7;c77#c7 of the ,patient 
,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahjbb7;c77#c77 is       
amended by adding at the end the        
following new subparagraph3  7,c7       

,application of terms ,for purposes of  
subparagraph 7,a71 the terms deductible1
 coinsurance1 copayment1 or similar     
charge and any other expenditure        
described in clause 7ii7 of such        
subparagraph shall include amounts paid 
by1 or on behalf of1 an individual      
enrolled in a group health plan or group
 or individual health insurance         
coverage1 including third-party         
payments1 financial assistance1         
discounts1 product vouchers1 and other  
reductions in out-of-pocket expenses and
 such amounts shall be counted toward   
such deductible1 coinsurance1 copayment1
 charge1 or other expenditure1          
respectively4  4  7#b7 ,,phsa ,section  
#bgjg7;b7 of the ,public ,health        
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4            
#cjj;gg-#f7;b77 is amended by adding at 
the end the following new sentence3 ,for
 purposes of the previous sentence1 such
 limitation shall be applied as if the  
reference to essential health benefits  
in section #acjb7;c77#c7 of the ,patient

 ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act 
were a reference to any item or service 
covered under the plan included within a
 category of essential health benefits  
as described in 7b77#a7 of such         
section44