Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 124.djvu/167

 124 STAT. 141 PUBLIC LAW 111–148—MAR. 23, 2010 Subtitle B—Immediate Actions to Preserve and Expand Coverage SEC. 1101. IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO INSURANCE FOR UNINSURED INDIVIDUALS WITH A PREEXISTING CONDITION. (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a temporary high risk health insurance pool program to provide health insurance coverage for eligible individuals during the period beginning on the date on which such program is established and ending on January 1, 2014. (b) ADMINISTRATION.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may carry out the program under this section directly or through contracts to eligible enti- ties. (2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible for a contract under paragraph (1), an entity shall— (A) be a State or nonprofit private entity; (B) submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require; and (C) agree to utilize contract funding to establish and administer a qualified high risk pool for eligible individuals. (3) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.—To be eligible to enter into a contract with the Secretary under this subsection, a State shall agree not to reduce the annual amount the State expended for the operation of one or more State high risk pools during the year preceding the year in which such contract is entered into. (c) QUALIFIED HIGH RISK POOL.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Amounts made available under this sec- tion shall be used to establish a qualified high risk pool that meets the requirements of paragraph (2). (2) REQUIREMENTS.—A qualified high risk pool meets the requirements of this paragraph if such pool— (A) provides to all eligible individuals health insurance coverage that does not impose any preexisting condition exclusion with respect to such coverage; (B) provides health insurance coverage— (i) in which the issuer’s share of the total allowed costs of benefits provided under such coverage is not less than 65 percent of such costs; and (ii) that has an out of pocket limit not greater than the applicable amount described in section 223(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for the year involved, except that the Secretary may modify such limit if necessary to ensure the pool meets the actuarial value limit under clause (i); (C) ensures that with respect to the premium rate charged for health insurance coverage offered to eligible individuals through the high risk pool, such rate shall— (i) except as provided in clause (ii), vary only as provided for under section 2701 of the Public Health Service Act (as amended by this Act and notwith- standing the date on which such amendments take effect); Deadline. Time period. 42 USC 18001.