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HB283 • 2026

Health insurance, safe harbor created

Health insurance, safe harbor created

Healthcare Taxes
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Colvin
Last action
2026-01-29
Official status
Read Second Time in House of Origin
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

HB283: Health Savings Account Safe Harbor Act

This bill creates a rule to protect high-deductible health plans from losing their special tax status if state laws require them to cover specific services.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates the Health Savings Account State-Federal Regulatory Coordination Act in Alabama law.
  • Allows cost-sharing rules like deductibles or copayments to apply only after a plan meets federal minimums for high-deductible plans if state laws would otherwise disqualify them.
  • Protects these health plans from losing their tax-advantaged status due to state benefit mandates or certain federal adjustments.
  • Gives the Commissioner of Insurance power to write new rules needed to carry out this act.
  • Updates existing laws about insurance companies and health maintenance organizations to include references to this new rule.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People enrolled in high-deductible health plans that qualify for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
  • Insurance companies offering these specific types of health plans.
  • Health Maintenance Organizations operating under state certificates of authority.
  • The Commissioner of Insurance who will oversee the new rules.

Terms To Know

High Deductible Health Plan
A health insurance plan with a higher minimum amount an enrollee must pay before coverage begins, as defined by federal tax law (26 U.S.C. § 223).
Health Savings Account (HSA)
A special savings account where people can put money away for medical costs without paying taxes on it if they have a qualifying high-deductible plan.
Safe Harbor
A legal protection that allows plans to follow state rules only after meeting federal requirements, so the plan does not lose its special status.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill takes effect on June 1, 2026.
  • Specific details about how cost-sharing will be calculated are left for future rules by the Commissioner of Insurance.
  • The text does not list every specific medical service that might trigger these new protections.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HGNIW83-1

Insurance

Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

Plain English: This amendment creates a new rule that stops state insurance laws from forcing costs on Health Savings Account plans until they have already met their required federal minimum deductible.

  • It adds a new law called the 'Health Savings Account State-Federal Regulatory Coordination Act' to protect these specific health plans.
  • If a state rule would make an HSA plan lose its special tax status, that rule only kicks in after the patient has paid their federal minimum deductible amount.
  • The amendment updates existing laws for certain insurance companies and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) so they must follow this new protection.
  • The text does not explain exactly which specific state rules might be blocked, only that it applies to any rule causing a loss of federal qualification.
  • The amendment gives the Insurance Commissioner power to make more detailed rules later, but those details are not included in this document.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-29 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  2. 2026-01-28 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  3. 2026-01-20 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  4. 2026-01-20 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Insurance

Official Summary Text

Health insurance, safe harbor created

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB283 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB283
EJRMG92-1
By Representative Colvin
RFD: Insurance
First Read: 20-Jan-26
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EJRMG92-1 01/13/2026 KMS (L)ccr 2026-216
Page 1
First Read: 20-Jan-26
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would create the Health Savings
Account State-Federal Regulatory Coordination Act to
protect the efficacy of Health Savings Account
qualified plans from any state benefit mandate or
federal copay accumulator adjustment law, regulation,
or guidance relating to high deductible health plans.
This bill would also authorize the Commissioner
of Insurance to adopt rules as necessary to implement
this act.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to health insurance; to create the Health
Savings Account State-Federal Regulatory Coordination Act; to
add Article 5 to Chapter 19, Title 27, Code of Alabama 1975,
to limit application of a federal cost-sharing requirement to
instances where the minimum deductible under federal law has
been applied to an enrollee's plan; to ensure the enrollee's
health savings account continues to qualify as a
high-deductible plan under federal law; and to amend Sections
10A-20-6.16 and 27-21A-23, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to
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HB283 INTRODUCED
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10A-20-6.16 and 27-21A-23, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to
certain health care service corporations and health
maintenance organizations, to reference the new Article 5,
Chapter 9, Title 27, Code of Alabama 1975, created by the new
article.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Article 5 is added to Chapter 19, Title 27
of the Code of Alabama 1975, to read as follows:
Article 5. The Health Savings Account State-Federal
Regulatory Coordination Act.
§27-19-180
(a) This article shall be known and may be cited as the
Health Savings Account State-Federal Regulatory Coordination
Act.
(b) The purpose of this article is to protect the
efficacy of Health Savings Account (HSA) qualified plans via a
legislative exception or safe harbor from any state benefit
mandate or copay accumulator adjustment law due to federal
law, regulations, rules, or guidance regarding high deductible
health plans.
(c) For purposes of this article, the following terms
have the following meanings:
(1) ENROLLEE. An individual who is enrolled in a health
insurance plan, whether on an individual or group basis,
including any covered dependent.
(2) HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT QUALIFIED INSURANCE PLAN or
HSA. A high deductible health plan that meets the specific
requirements of 26 U.S.C. § 223, as interpreted and
administered by the federal Internal Revenue Service.
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HB283 INTRODUCED
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administered by the federal Internal Revenue Service.
Individuals covered by such a plan may contribute to a Health
Savings Account (HSA), a trust, or a custodial account for
qualified medical expenses. An individual may not contribute
to an HSA unless he or she is covered by an HSA-qualified
insurance plan and has no other disqualifying coverage. An
eligible individual may deduct contributions from income
taxes, and employers and employees may contribute on a pre-tax
basis through payroll deduction. HSA owners may use deposited
funds tax-free for qualified medical expenses incurred by
themselves and eligible dependents.
(3) HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLAN. A health insurance
plan, as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 223(c)(2).
(4) PREVENTIVE CARE. Those services defined as such by
the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue
Service, including preventive services recognized under the
Affordable Care Act, pursuant to regulation or guidance issued
under the authority of Title 26 of the United States Code. In
general, the term does not include services that provide
treatment for known illnesses, diseases, or conditions.
However, under IRS Notice 2019-45, the term also includes
specified products and services provided to individuals with
certain defined chronic conditions including, but not limited
to, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease.
(5) ZERO COST-SHARING or COST-SHARING RESTRICTIONS.
Prohibition outright of any deductible, copayment, or
coinsurance on the part of the enrollee or certain limitations
on the amount of the deductible, copayment, or coinsurance.
(d) If under federal law, the application of any
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HB283 INTRODUCED
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(d) If under federal law, the application of any
cost-sharing requirement of the Insurance Code would cause the
enrollee's health savings account plan to no longer qualify as
a high-deductible health plan under 26 U.S.C. § 223, then the
cost-sharing requirement shall only apply to the enrollee's
plan once the minimum deductible under 26 U.S.C. § 223 has
been applied.
(e) The Commissioner of Insurance may adopt rules as
necessary to implement this section.
Section 2. Sections 10A-20-6.16 and 27-21A-23 of the
Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:
"§10A-20-6.16
(a) No statute of this state applying to insurance
companies shall be applicable to any corporation organized
under this article and amendments thereto or to any contract
made by the corporation ;, except the corporation shall be
subject to the following:
(1) The provisions regarding annual premium tax to be
paid by insurers on insurance premiums.
(2) Chapter 55 of Title 27.
(3) Article 2 and Article 3 of Chapter 19 of Title 27.
(4) Section 27-1-17.
(5) Chapter 56 of Title 27.
(6) Rules adopted by the Commissioner of Insurance
pursuant to Sections 27-7-43 and 27-7-44.
(7) Chapter 54 of Title 27.
(8) Chapter 57 of Title 27.
(9) Chapter 58 of Title 27.
(10) Chapter 59 of Title 27.
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HB283 INTRODUCED
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(10) Chapter 59 of Title 27.
(11) Chapter 54A of Title 27.
(12) Chapter 12A of Title 27.
(13) Chapter 2B of Title 27.
(14) Chapter 29 of Title 27.
(15) Chapter 62 of Title 27.
(16) Chapter 63 of Title 27.
(17) Chapter 45A of Title 27.
(18) Article 5 of Chapter 19 of Title 27.
(b) The provisions in subsection (a) that require
specific types of coverage to be offered or provided shall not
apply when the corporation is administering a self-funded
benefit plan or similar plan, fund, or program that it does
not insure."
"§27-21A-23
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter,
provisions of the insurance law and provisions of health care
service plan laws shall not be applicable to any health
maintenance organization granted a certificate of authority
under this chapter. This provision subsection shall not apply
to an insurer or health care service plan licensed and
regulated pursuant to the insurance law or the health care
service plan laws of this state except with respect to its
health maintenance organization activities authorized and
regulated pursuant to this chapter.
(b) Solicitation of enrollees by a health maintenance
organization granted a certificate of authority shall not be
construed to violate any provision of law relating to
solicitation or advertising by health professionals.
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HB283 INTRODUCED
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solicitation or advertising by health professionals.
(c) Any health maintenance organization authorized
under this chapter shall not be deemed to be practicing
medicine and shall be exempt from the provisions of Section
34-24-310, et seq., relating to the practice of medicine.
(d) No person participating in the arrangements of a
health maintenance organization other than the actual provider
of health care services or supplies directly to enrollees and
their families shall be liable for negligence, misfeasance,
nonfeasance, or malpractice in connection with the furnishing
of such services and supplies.
(e) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed in any
way to repeal or conflict with any provision of the
certificate of need law.
(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), a
health maintenance organization shall be subject to all of the
following:
(1) Section 27-1-17.
(2) Chapter 56.
(3) Chapter 54.
(4) Chapter 57.
(5) Chapter 58.
(6) Chapter 59.
(7) Rules adopted by the Commissioner of Insurance
pursuant to Sections 27-7-43 and 27-7-44.
(8) Chapter 12A.
(9) Chapter 54A.
(10) Chapter 2B.
(11) Chapter 29.
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HB283 INTRODUCED
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(11) Chapter 29.
(12) Chapter 62.
(13) Chapter 63.
(14) Chapter 45A.
(15) Article 5 of Chapter 19. "
Section 3. This act shall become effective on June 1,
2026.
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