[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 483 Engrossed Amendment Senate (EAS)]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

                  In the Senate of the United States,

                                May 17 (legislative day, May 15), 1995.
      Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 
483) entitled ``An Act to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act 
to permit medicare select policies to be offered in all States, and for 
other purposes'', do pass with the following

                               AMENDMENT:
            Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:
SECTION 1. PERMITTING MEDICARE SELECT POLICIES TO BE OFFERED IN ALL 
              STATES FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD.

    Section 4358(c) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990, 
as amended by section 172(a) of the Social Security Act Amendments of 
1994, is amended to read as follows:
    ``(c) Effective Date.--(1) The amendments made by this section 
shall only apply--
            ``(A) in 15 States (as determined by the Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services) and such other States as elect such 
        amendments to apply to them, and
            ``(B) subject to paragraph (2), during the 5 year period 
        beginning with 1992.
    ``(2)(A) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall conduct a 
study that compares the health care costs, quality of care, and access 
to services under medicare select policies with that under other 
medicare supplemental policies. The study shall be based on surveys of 
appropriate age-adjusted sample populations. The study shall be 
completed by June 30, 1996.
    ``(B) The Secretary shall determine during 1996 whether the 
amendments made by this section shall remain in effect beyond the 5 
year period described in paragraph (1)(B). Such amendments shall remain 
in effect beyond such period unless the Secretary determines (based on 
the results of the study under subparagraph (A)) that--
            ``(i) such amendments have not resulted in savings of 
        premiums costs to those enrolled in medicare select policies 
        (in comparison to their enrollment in medicare supplemental 
        policies that are not medicare select policies and that provide 
        comparable coverage),
            ``(ii) there have been significant additional expenditures 
        under the medicare program as a result of such amendments, or
            ``(iii) access to and quality of care has been 
        significantly diminished as a result of such amendments.
    ``(3) The GAO shall study and report to Congress, no later than 
June 10, 1996, on options for modifying the Medigap market to make sure 
that continuously insured beneficiaries are able to switch plans 
without medical underwriting or new pre-existing condition exclusions. 
In preparing such options, the GAO shall determine if there are 
problems under the current system and the impact of each option on the 
cost and availability of insurance, with particular reference to the 
special problems that may arise for enrollees in Medicare Select 
plans.''.
            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
104th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 483

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                               AMENDMENT