[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1088 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1088

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the budget 
neutrality adjustment factor used in calculating the blended capitation 
rate for Medicare+Choice organizations and to accelerate the transition 
                   to the 50:50 blended rate in 2000.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 11, 1999

Mr. Gilchrest 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 title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the budget 
neutrality adjustment factor used in calculating the blended capitation 
rate for Medicare Choice organizations and to accelerate the transition 
                   to the 50:50 blended rate in 2000.

    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 Payment Fairness Act 
of 1999''.

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF BUDGET NEUTRALITY ADJUSTMENT FACTOR IN 
              CALCULATING THE BLENDED CAPITATION RATE FOR 
              MEDICARE+CHOICE ORGANIZATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1853(c) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395w-23(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking the comma at the end 
        of clause (ii) and all that follows before the period at the 
        end; and
            (2) by striking paragraph (5) and redesignating paragraphs 
        (6) and (7) as paragraphs (5) and (6) respectively.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Section 1853(c) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1395w-23(c)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (1) in the matter proceeding 
                subparagraph (A), by striking ``(6)(C) and (7)'' and 
                inserting ``(5)(C) and (6)''; and
                    (B) in paragraphs (1)(B)(ii) and (3)(A)(i), by 
                striking ``(6)(A)'' and inserting ``(5)(A)''.
            (2) Subsections (b)(3)(B)(ii) and (c)(3) of section 1859 of 
        such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-29) are each amended by striking 
        ``1853(c)(6).'' and inserting ``1853(c)(5).''
    (c) Submission to Congress.--Not later than 20 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall submit to Congress a legislative proposal that provides 
for aggregate decreases in Federal expenditures under the Medicare 
program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et 
seq.) that are equal to the aggregate increases in such expenditures 
under such program resulting from the amendments made by subsections 
(a) and (b).
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to payments made for periods beginning on or after January 1, 
2000.

SEC. 3. ACCELERATING TRANSITION TO 50:50 BLEND IN 2000.

    Section 1853(c)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-
23(c)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by adding ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B); and
            (2) by striking subparagraphs (C) through (F) and inserting 
        the following:
                    ``(F) for a year after 1999, the `area-specific 
                percentage' is 50 percent and the `national percentage' 
                is 50 percent.''.
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