Protection from Obamacare Mandates and Congressional Equity Act

This bill, currently in committee, would make two main changes to federal health insurance requirements. First, it would exempt individuals from the requirement to maintain minimum essential health care coverage if they live in a county where fewer than two health insurers offer plans on the health insurance exchange. Second, it would expand requirements for obtaining health insurance through exchanges rather than the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. Currently, Members of Congress and designated staff must use exchanges, but this bill would require all congressional staff, including committee and leadership office employees, to do so. It would also require the President, Vice President, and executive branch political appointees to obtain coverage through exchanges instead of the traditional federal employee program.

Under this bill, the federal government would be prohibited from contributing to or subsidizing health insurance coverage for Members of Congress, their staff, the President, Vice President, and executive branch political appointees who are subject to these requirements. This means these individuals and employees would pay the full cost of their health insurance premiums themselves rather than receiving government contributions. The bill removes discretion from Members of Congress in determining which of their employees must enroll through exchanges, making the requirement uniform across all congressional staff.