[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4557 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4557

 To amend the Social Security Act to waive the 24-month waiting period 
  for Medicare coverage of individuals disabled with acquired immune 
 deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and to provide Medicare coverage of drugs 
                      used for treatment of AIDS.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 25, 2000

  Mr. Coburn 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 the Social Security Act to waive the 24-month waiting period 
  for Medicare coverage of individuals disabled with acquired immune 
 deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and to provide Medicare coverage of drugs 
                      used for treatment of AIDS.

    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 ``AIDS Treatment and Assistance Act of 
2000''.

SEC. 2. WAIVER OF 24-MONTH WAITING PERIOD FOR MEDICARE COVERAGE OF 
              INDIVIDUALS DISABLED WITH ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY 
              SYNDROME (AIDS).

    (a) In General.--Section 226 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
426) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (j) and 
        by moving such subsection to the end of the section, and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (g) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(h) For purposes of applying this section in the case of an 
individual medically determined to have acquired immune deficiency 
syndrome (AIDS), the following special rules apply:
            ``(1) Subsection (b) shall be applied as if there were no 
        requirement for any entitlement to benefits, or status, for a 
        period longer than 1 month.
            ``(2) The entitlement under such subsection shall begin 
        with the first month (rather than twenty-fifth month) of 
        entitlement or status.
            ``(3) Subsection (f) shall not be applied.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1837 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395p) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(j) In applying this section in the case of an individual who is 
entitled to benefits under part A pursuant to the operation of section 
226(h), the following special rules apply:
            ``(1) The initial enrollment period under subsection (d) 
        shall begin on the first day of the first month in which the 
        individual satisfies the requirement of section 1836(1).
            ``(2) In applying subsection (g)(1), the initial enrollment 
        period shall begin on the first day of the first month of 
        entitlement to disability insurance benefits referred to in 
        such subsection.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to benefits for months beginning after the date of the enactment 
of this Act.

SEC. 3. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF DRUGS TO TREAT ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY 
              SYNDROME (AIDS).

    (a) In General.--Section 1861(s)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (S),
            (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (T) 
        and inserting ``; and'', and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
            ``(U) any drug (which is approved by the Federal Food and 
        Drug Administration) prescribed for use in the treatment or 
        alleviation of symptoms relating to acquired immune deficiency 
        syndrome (AIDS).''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply to drugs furnished on or after the first day of the first month 
beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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