[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3988 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3988

  To amend part C of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to assure 
  appropriate access to mental health services under Medicare+Choice 
                                 plans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 3, 1998

  Mr. Stark introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on 
Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend part C of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to assure 
  appropriate access to mental health services under Medicare+Choice 
                                 plans.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare+Choice Mental Health 
Coverage Access Assurance Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. ASSURING ADEQUATE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES UNDER 
              MEDICARE+CHOICE PLANS.

    (a) Access to Appropriate Care in Cases of Emergency Mental 
Illness.--
            (1) Inclusion of threat of self-harm in definition of 
        emergency medical condition.--Section 1852(d)(3)(B) of the 
        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-22(d)(3)(B)) is amended by 
        inserting ``and including an attempt or threat to inflict 
        injury to self'' after ``including severe pain''.
            (2) Inclusion of mental health in coordination of post-
        stabilization care.--Section 1852(d)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1395w-22(d)(2)) is amended by inserting ``physical and mental 
        health'' after ``appropriate''.
    (b) Adequate Information About Mental Health Benefits.--
            (1) Inclusion of information on mental health coverage.--
        Section 1851(d)(3)(A)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-
        21(d)(3)(A)(i)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
        ``, including hospitalization, outpatient, and drug coverage 
        available for the treatment of mental illness and addiction 
        disorder''.
            (2) Inclusion of information on any utilization 
        restrictions on mental health services.--Section 1852(c)(2)(B) 
        of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-22(c)(1)(B)) is each amended by 
        adding at the end the following: ``, including services and 
        expenditures related to treatment of mental illness''.
    (c) Assuring Access to Appropriate Mental Health Services.--Section 
1852(d)(1)(D) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-22(d)(1)(D)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``physical and mental health'' after 
        ``appropriate''; and
            (2) by inserting ``, including inpatient psychiatric 
        hospital services'' after ``services''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section are 
effective for contract years beginning on or after January 1, 1999.
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