Bill offered to undo HSA health law provision

Bipartisan legislation was introduced Thursday to remove restrictions on tax-exempt health spending accounts — a revenue-raising provision of the health law that was estimated to garner $5 billion over 10 years.

The Hill: Another Provision Of Health Care Reform Law Comes Under Bipartisan Assault
Lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced bipartisan legislation Thursday to remove restrictions on tax-exempt health spending accounts, the latest provision of the health care reform law to come under attack by Democrats. The bill would nix a provision that since January has required a prescription for buying over-the-counter medicines with medical savings accounts such as Flexible Spending Arrangements and Health Savings Accounts. The language was added as a way to keep the bill's costs down because it was estimated to save $5 billion over 10 years by cutting down on unnecessary drug purchases (Pecquet, 7/14).

Kansas Health Institute News: Kansans In Congress Offer Bill Repealing Part Of ACA
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts and U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, both Kansas Republicans, have partnered on legislation that would repeal a portion of the Affordable Care Act. As of Jan. 1, the federal health reform law disallowed the purchase of non-prescribed medications with money from tax-free medical savings accounts such as Flexible Savings Accounts, commonly known as FSAs. Roberts and Jenkins joined U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley, a Nevada Democrat, in introducing legislation today that would repeal that prohibition (7/14).

Topeka Capital-Journal: Bill Seeks Repeal Of Health Care Restriction
A bill that would repeal part of the new health care reform law — a provision that prohibits people from spending money from their medical savings account on over-the-counter medications — has been introduced by two Kansas Republicans along with two Democrats. Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts and 2nd District Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins announced Thursday that they joined with Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., in an effort to repeal section 9003 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The proposed bill would restore the ability of people participating in a medical savings account, such as a Flexible Savings Account, to use funds from those accounts to purchase over-the-counter medications (7/14).