[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 224 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 224

   To eliminate fraud in the payment of supplemental security income 
             benefits to children by reason of disability.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 1995

 Mr. Dickey (for himself and Mr. Shays) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To eliminate fraud in the payment of supplemental security income 
             benefits to children by reason of disability.

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

SECTION 1. REPLACEMENT OF CASH BENEFIT WITH MEDICAL VOUCHER.

    (a) In General.--Section 1611(b) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1382(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), the benefit under 
this title for a child who has not attained 18 years of age shall be 
vouchers issued pursuant to subsection (j).''.
    (b) Issuance of Vouchers for Treatment of Disabling Conditions of 
Children Eligible for SSI Benefits.--Section 1611 of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1382(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(j)(1) The Commissioner shall issue to each child eligible for 
benefits under this title who has not attained 18 years of age vouchers 
which may be used to cover the cost associated with treating the 
blindness or disability of the child.
    ``(2) The Commissioner shall, by regulation--
            ``(A) develop an appropriate measure of the anticipated 
        costs associated with treating each kind of blindness or 
        disability from which a child may suffer, which shall take 
        account of the severity of the blindness or disability, any 
        geographic variation in such costs, and such other factors as 
        the Commissioner deems appropriate; and
            ``(B) establish a schedule which shall be used to determine 
        the dollar value of the vouchers to be issued to a child to 
        cover the costs associated with treating the blindness or 
        disability of the child.
    ``(3) The Commissioner shall pay to each provider of health care 
goods or services that is licensed by a State, or by a professional 
health care organization approved by the Commissioner, that submits to 
the Commissioner a voucher issued under this subsection an amount equal 
to the face dollar amount of the voucher.''.

SEC. 2. FRAUD CONTROL.

    Part B of title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1383-
1383d) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 1636. FRAUD CONTROL.

    ``(a) Notice of Cooperation.--The Commissioner shall notify the 
Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services and 
each State agency responsible for the detection of fraud in cases 
involving benefits under this title, in writing, that the Commissioner 
is willing to assist in the detection of such fraud and that the 
Commissioner requests the name and social security account number of 
each person who is suspected of such fraud.
    ``(b) Investigation of Suspected Fraud.--Within 30 days after the 
Commissioner receives a name submitted pursuant to the written request 
required by subsection (a), the Commissioner shall conduct such 
activities as the Commissioner deems appropriate, including benefit 
redetermination, to ascertain whether the person named is eligible for 
benefits under this title.
    ``(c) Development of Profiles; Periodic Targeted 
Redeterminations.--The Commissioner shall develop profiles of the kinds 
of cases that have a high probability of fraud, and shall conduct 
periodic targeted redeterminations based on such profiles.''.
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