HealthCARE Act of 2005

The HealthCARE Act of 2005 (H.R. 1399) was a legislative proposal designed to expand health insurance coverage through a combination of public program expansions and private market subsidies. The bill sought to allow states to extend Medicaid coverage to all individuals living below the federal poverty line and to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover more low-income children.

For those in the private market, the bill proposed a refundable tax credit to help families pay for health insurance premiums, including a system for advance payments to insurance providers to lower monthly costs for low-income earners. Additionally, it aimed to create state-based "purchasing pools" to give individuals access to group health insurance rates and established a reinsurance program to help stabilize insurance costs. While the bill was introduced in the 109th Congress, it did not move past the committee stage and did not become law.