[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 934 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 934

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit medicare 
   select policies in all States and to modify the requirements with 
                       respect to such policies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                May 11 (legislative day, April 19), 1993

  Mr. Chafee introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit medicare 
   select policies in all States and to modify the requirements with 
                       respect to such policies.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. MEDICARE SELECT.

    (a) Amendments to Provisions Relating to Medicare Select 
Policies.--
            (1) Permitting medicare select policies in all states.--
                    (A) In general.--Subsection (c) of section 4358 of 
                the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 is hereby 
                repealed.
                    (B) Conforming amendment.--Section 4358 of the 
                Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 is amended by 
                redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (c).
            (2) Requirements of medicare select policies.--Section 
        1882(t)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ss(t)(1)) 
        is amended to read as follows:
    ``(1)(A) If a medicare supplemental policy meets the 1991 NAIC 
Model Regulation or 1991 Federal Regulation and otherwise complies with 
the requirements of this section except that--
            ``(i) the benefits under such policy are restricted to 
        items and services furnished by certain entities (or reduced 
        benefits are provided when items or services are furnished by 
        other entities), and
            ``(ii) in the case of a policy described in subparagraph 
        (C)(i)--
                    ``(I) the benefits under such policy are not one of 
                the groups or packages of benefits described in 
                subsection (p)(2)(A),
                    ``(II) except for nominal copayments imposed for 
                services covered under part B of this title, such 
                benefits include at least the core group of basic 
                benefits described in subsection (p)(2)(B), and
                    ``(III) an enrollee's liability under such policy 
                for physician's services covered under part B of this 
                title is limited to the nominal copayments described in 
                subclause (II),
the policy shall nevertheless be treated as meeting those standards if 
the policy meets the requirements of subparagraph (B).
    ``(B) A policy meets the requirements of this subparagraph if--
            ``(i) full benefits are provided for items and services 
        furnished through a network of entities which have entered into 
        contracts or agreements with the issuer of the policy,
            ``(ii) full benefits are provided for items and services 
        furnished by other entities if the services are medically 
        necessary and immediately required because of an unforeseen 
        illness, injury, or condition and it is not reasonable given 
        the circumstances to obtain the services through the network,
            ``(iii) the network offers sufficient access,
            ``(iv) the issuer of the policy has arrangements for an 
        ongoing quality assurance program for items and services 
        furnished through the network,
            ``(v)(I) the issuer of the policy provides to each enrollee 
        at the time of enrollment an explanation of--
                    ``(aa) the restrictions on payment under the policy 
                for services furnished other than by or through the 
                network,
                    ``(bb) out of area coverage under the policy,
                    ``(cc) the policy's coverage of emergency services 
                and urgently needed care, and
                    ``(dd) the availability of a policy through the 
                entity that meets the 1991 Model NAIC Regulation or 
                1991 Federal Regulation without regard to this 
                subsection and the premium charged for such policy, and
            ``(II) each enrollee prior to enrollment acknowledges 
        receipt of the explanation provided under subclause (I), and
            ``(vi) the issuer of the policy makes available to 
        individuals, in addition to the policy described in this 
        subsection, any policy (otherwise offered by the issuer to 
        individuals in the State) that meets the 1991 Model NAIC 
        Regulation or 1991 Federal Regulation and other requirements of 
        this section without regard to this subsection.
    ``(C)(i) A policy described in this subparagraph--
            ``(I) is offered by an eligible organization (as defined in 
        section 1876(b)),
            ``(II) is not a policy or plan providing benefits pursuant 
        to a contract under section 1876 or an approved demonstration 
        project described in section 603(c) of the Social Security 
        Amendments of 1983, section 2355 of the Deficit Reduction Act 
        of 1984, or section 9412(b) of the Omnibus Budget 
        Reconciliation Act of 1986, and
            ``(III) provides benefits which, when combined with 
        benefits which are available under this title, are 
        substantially similar to benefits under policies offered to 
        individuals who are not entitled to benefits under this title.
    ``(ii) In making a determination under subclause (III) of clause 
(i) as to whether certain benefits are substantially similar, there 
shall not be taken into account, except in the case of preventive 
services, benefits provided under policies offered to individuals who 
are not entitled to benefits under this title which are in addition to 
the benefits covered by this title and which are benefits an entity 
must provide in order to meet the definition of an eligible 
organization under section 1876(b)(1).''.
    (b) Renewability of Medicare Select Policies.--Section 1882(q)(1) 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ss(q)(1)) is amended:
            (1) by striking ``(1) Each'' and inserting ``(1)(A) Except 
        as provided in subparagraph (B), each'';
            (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses 
        (i) and (ii), respectively; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
            ``(B)(i) Except as provided in clause (ii), in the case of 
        a policy that meets the requirements of subsection (t), an 
        issuer may cancel or nonrenew such policy with respect to an 
        individual who leaves the service area of such policy.
            ``(ii) If an individual described in clause (i) moves to a 
        geographic area where an issuer described in clause (i), or 
        where an affiliate of such issuer, is issuing medicare 
        supplemental policies, such individual must be permitted to 
        enroll in any medicare supplemental policy offered by such 
        issuer or affiliate that provides benefits comparable to or 
        less than the benefits provided in the policy being canceled or 
        nonrenewed. An individual whose coverage is canceled or 
        nonrenewed under this subparagraph shall, as part of the notice 
        of termination or nonrenewal, be notified of the right to 
        enroll in other medicare supplemental policies offered by the 
        issuer or its affiliates.
            ``(iii) For purposes of this subparagraph, the term 
        `affiliate' shall have the meaning given such term by the 1991 
        NAIC Model Regulation.''.
    (c) Civil Penalty.--Section 1882(t)(2) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395ss(t)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``(2)'' and inserting ``(2)(A)'';
            (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) 
        as clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv), respectively;
            (3) in clause (iv), as redesignated--
                    (A) by striking ``paragraph (1)(E)(i)'' and 
                inserting ``paragraph (1)(B)(v)(I); and
                    (B) by striking ``paragraph (1)(E)(ii)'' and 
                inserting ``paragraph (1)(B)(v)(II)'';
            (4) by striking ``the previous sentence'' and inserting 
        ``this subparagraph''; and
            (5) by inserting at the end the following new subparagraph:
    ``(B) If the Secretary determines that an issuer of a policy 
approved under paragraph (1) has made a misrepresentation to the 
Secretary or has provided the Secretary with false information 
regarding such policy, the issuer is subject to a civil money penalty 
in an amount not to exceed $100,000 for each such determination. The 
provisions of section 1128A (other than the first sentence of 
subsection (a) and other than subsection (b)) shall apply to a civil 
money penalty under this subparagraph in the same manner as such 
provisions apply to a penalty or proceeding under section 1128A(a).''.
    (d) Effective Dates.--
            (1) NAIC standards.--If, within 6 months after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the National Association of 
        Insurance Commissioners (hereafter in this subsection referred 
        to as the ``NAIC'') makes changes in the 1991 NAIC Model 
        Regulation (as defined in section 1882(p)(1)(A) of the Social 
        Security Act) to incorporate the additional requirements 
        imposed by the amendments made by this section, section 
        1882(g)(2)(A) of such Act shall be applied in each State, 
        effective for policies issued to policyholders on and after the 
        date specified in paragraph (3), as if the reference to the 
        Model Regulation adopted on June 6, 1979, were a reference to 
        the 1991 NAIC Model Regulation (as so defined) as changed under 
        this paragraph (such changed Regulation referred to in this 
        subsection as the ``1994 NAIC Model Regulation'').
            (2) Secretary standards.--If the NAIC does not make changes 
        in the 1991 NAIC Model Regulation (as so defined) within the 6-
        month period specified in paragraph (1), the Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services (hereafter in this subsection as the 
        ``Secretary'') shall promulgate a regulation and section 
        1882(g)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act shall be applied in 
        each State, effective for policies issued to policyholders on 
        and after the date specified in paragraph (3), as if the 
        reference to the Model Regulation adopted in June 6, 1979, were 
        a reference to the 1991 NAIC Model Regulation (as so defined) 
        as changed by the Secretary under this paragraph (such changed 
        Regulation referred to in this subsection as the ``1994 Federal 
        Regulation'').
            (3) Date specified.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                date specified in this paragraph for a State is the 
                earlier of--
                            (i) the date the State adopts the 1994 NAIC 
                        Model Regulation or the 1994 Federal 
                        Regulation, or
                            (ii) 1 year after the date the NAIC or the 
                        Secretary first adopts such regulations.
                    (B) Additional legislative action required.--In the 
                case of a State which the Secretary identifies, in 
                consultation with the NAIC, as--
                            (i) requiring State legislation (other than 
                        legislation appropriating funds) in order for 
                        medicare supplemental policies to meet the 1994 
                        NAIC Model Regulation or the 1994 Federal 
                        Regulation, but
                            (ii) having a legislature which is not 
                        scheduled to meet in 1995 in a legislative 
                        session in which such legislation may be 
                        considered, the date specified in this 
                        paragraph is the first day of the first 
                        calendar quarter beginning after the close of 
                        the first legislative session of the State 
                        legislature that begins on or after January 1, 
                        1995. For purposes of the previous sentence, in 
                        the case of a State that has a 2-year 
                        legislative session, each year of such session 
                        shall be deemed to be a separate regular 
                        session of the State legislature.

                                 <all>