We have received text from H.R. 3277: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act. This bill was received on 2025-05-08, and currently has 47 cosponsors.
Here is a short summary of the bill:
This bill, titled the
Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act
, aims to improve healthcare coverage for those affected by congenital anomalies or birth defects. Here are the main points of the bill:
Health Insurance Requirements
The bill requires that group health plans and health insurance issuers provide coverage for both outpatient and inpatient services related to diagnosing and treating congenital anomalies or birth defects that primarily affect the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw. This includes the following:
- Items and services necessary to improve, repair, or restore function or appearance, determined to be medically necessary by a treating physician.
- Treatment for any missing or abnormal body parts, including services that address complications from prior treatments.
- Supportive dental, orthodontic, or prosthetic services from birth until the medical or surgical intervention has been completed, including any follow-up treatments needed.
Financial Requirements
The coverage for these services may involve cost-sharing, such as copayments and deductibles, although these must not be more restrictive than those applied to other medical or surgical benefits in the plan.
Exclusions
The required coverage does not include cosmetic surgery that is not linked to a medically determined congenital anomaly or birth defect. This means any procedures undertaken solely for aesthetic purposes unrelated to medical necessity are excluded from coverage.
Notice Requirements
By January 1, 2026, group health plans and insurance issuers must inform all participants and beneficiaries about this coverage in their documents detailing available services.
Definitions
The bill defines a
congenital anomaly or birth defect
as any structural or functional anomaly that occurs during pregnancy, which can be caused by a range of genetic and environmental factors and can affect individuals in various ways such as:
- Being evident at birth or developing later in life.
- Manifesting as abnormal anatomical structures.
- Causing physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities.
- Leading to syndromes, diseases, or other health problems.
Studies and Reports
The Secretary of Health and Human Services is tasked with conducting a study by December 31, 2027, to evaluate how accessible the necessary healthcare services are under these coverage requirements. The study will assess:
- The adequacy of networks of providers for these services.
- Changes in patients' out-of-pocket costs for affected procedures and overall costs for services associated with congenital anomalies or birth defects.
Implementation Timeline
The provisions of this bill will take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.
Relevant Companies
- UNH (UnitedHealth Group): As a major health insurer, UnitedHealth Group will need to adjust its coverage policies to comply with the new requirements, potentially affecting its cost structures and service offerings.
- ANTM (Anthem Inc.): Similar to UnitedHealth, Anthem will have to implement changes in its health plans to provide the mandated coverage, which could involve increased administrative processes and modifications in claims handling.
- CNC (Centene Corporation): Centene, which provides managed care services, will need to adapt its health plans to ensure coverage for congenital anomalies and might face financial implications based on the new coverage requirements.
Representative Neal P. Dunn Bill Proposals
Here are some bills which have recently been proposed by Representative Neal P. Dunn:
- H.R.4030: Treatment Continuity Act of 2025
- H.R.3960: Connecting Communities Post Disasters Act of 2025
- H.R.3855: To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit smoking on the premises of any facility of the Veterans Health Administration, and for other purposes.
- H.R.3759: Streamlined FEMA Cost Exemption Act
- H.R.3277: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act
- H.R.3142: Secure U.S. Leadership in Space Act of 2025
You can track bills proposed by Representative Neal P. Dunn on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Dunn.
Representative Neal P. Dunn Net Worth
Quiver Quantitative estimates that Representative Neal P. Dunn is worth $5.2M, as of July 2nd, 2025. This is the 142nd highest net worth in Congress, per our live estimates.
Dunn has approximately $1.6M invested in publicly traded assets which Quiver is able to track live.
You can track Representative Neal P. Dunn's net worth on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Dunn.
Representative Neal P. Dunn Stock Trading
We have data on up to $215.0K of trades from Representative Neal P. Dunn, which we parsed from STOCK Act filings.
You can track Representative Neal P. Dunn's stock trading on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Dunn.
This article is not financial advice. See Quiver Quantitative's disclaimers for more information.
