Rec Benefits Bill Slides Into House - Updated With Vote

The bill also would add limitation notice requirements to similar provisions in the Public Health Service Act.

The disclosure rules would “apply with respect to plan years beginning after 1 year after the date of the enactment of this act,” according to the text of the act.

Burgess and Stupak, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, introduced a similar bill, H.R. 6908, in the previous Congress.

In September 2008, the lawmakers said the bill was designed to “strengthen health insurance coverage for injuries incurred while participating in legal recreational and transportation activities, such as snowmobiling, motorcycling, riding ATVs and horseback riding.”

“Many Americans are unaware that their health insurance may not cover injuries resulting from certain recreational activities because their policy is unclear or overly broad,” Stupak said in a statement in the fall.

The bill would restore rules that were in effect before January 2001, when a change in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act gave insurers the ability to deny health benefits for a covered injury resulting from participation in recreational activities such as skiing, horseback riding, snowmobiling and motorcycling, Stupak said.

Links to the text of H.R. 1253 and other information about the bill are available here.