[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2333 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2333

    To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove special 
   financial limitations that apply to Puerto Rico and certain other 
    territories under the Medicaid Program with respect to medical 
         assistance for Medicare cost-sharing and for veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 23, 1999

   Mr. Romero-Barcelo (for himself, Mr. McDermott, Mr. McGovern, Mr. 
Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, 
Mr. Waxman, Mr. Serrano, and Mr. Rangel) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, and in addition to the 
Committee on Ways and Means, 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 XIX of the Social Security Act to remove special 
   financial limitations that apply to Puerto Rico and certain other 
    territories under the Medicaid Program with respect to medical 
         assistance for Medicare cost-sharing and for veterans.

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

SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF SPECIAL MEDICAID FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS ON PUERTO 
              RICO AND CERTAIN OTHER TERRITORIES ON MEDICARE COST-
              SHARING AND FOR VETERANS.

    (a) Removal of the Dollar Cap.--Section 1108 of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1308) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (f), by striking ``subsection (g)'' and 
        inserting ``subsections (g) and (h)'';
            (2) in subsection (g)(2), by inserting ``but subject to 
        subsection (h),'' after ``Notwithstanding subsection (f),''; 
        and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(h) Disregarding Medicaid Payments for Certain Medicare Cost-
Sharing and for Veterans.--The following medical assistance shall not 
be counted in applying subsections (f) and (g) and such subsections 
shall not limit the amount of medical assistance provided for the 
following:
            ``(1) Medicare cost-sharing for qualified medicare 
        beneficiaries (qmb), special low-income medicare beneficiaries 
        (slmb), etc.--Medical assistance provided (other than by 
        American Samoa) in the form of medicare cost-sharing (as 
        defined in section 1905(p)(3)) for qualified medicare 
        beneficiaries (as defined in section 1905(p)(1)), special low-
        income medicare beneficiaries (described in section 
        1902(a)(10)(E)(iii)), and other individuals described in 
        section 1902(a)(10)(E)(iv).
            ``(2) Veterans.--Medical assistance provided (other than by 
        American Samoa) to individuals who are veterans (within the 
        meaning of section 101(2) of title 38, United States Code).''.
    (b) Removal of Limitation on the Federal Medical Assistance 
Percentage for Certain Medicare Cost-Sharing and for Veterans.--Section 
1905(b)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(b)(2)) is amended by inserting 
``for medical assistance other than medical assistance described in 
paragraph (1) or (2) of section 1108(h)'' after ``the Federal medical 
assistance percentage''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section are 
effective beginning with fiscal year 2000 and shall apply to medical 
assistance for medicare cost-sharing and items and services furnished 
on and after October 1, 1999.
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