[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 368 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 368

    To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for 
      equitable reimbursement rates under the Medicare Program to 
                     Medicare+Choice organizations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 27, 2003

  Mr. Israel (for himself and Mr. Ackerman) introduced the following 
  bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in 
 addition to the Committee on Energy and 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 provide for 
      equitable reimbursement rates under the Medicare Program to 
                     Medicare+Choice organizations.

    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 Equity and Access 
Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. OPTION TO RECEIVE PAYMENT BASED ON ANNUAL AREA-SPECIFIC 
              MEDICARE+CHOICE CAPITATION RATE.

    Section 1853(c) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-23(c)) 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 
                striking ``or (C)'' and inserting ``(C), or, in the 
                case of payments for months beginning on or after 
                January 1, 2004, (D)''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(D) Annual area-specific medicare+choice 
                capitation rate.--The annual area-specific 
                Medicare+Choice capitation rate for the Medicare+Choice 
                payment area, as determined under paragraph (3) for the 
                year.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``(1)(A)'' and inserting 
        ``subparagraphs (A) and (D) of paragraph (1)''.

SEC. 3. PERMANENTLY REMOVING APPLICATION OF BUDGET NEUTRALITY TO 
              BLENDED CAPITATION RATE.

    Section 1853(c) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-23(c)) 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(A), in the matter following clause 
        (ii), by inserting ``(for years before 2004)'' after 
        ``multiplied''; and
            (2) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``(before 2004)'' after 
        ``for each year''.

SEC. 4. REVISION OF FORMULA USED TO CALCULATE THE NATIONAL STANDARDIZED 
              ANNUAL MEDICARE+CHOICE CAPITATION RATE TO REFLECT 
              MEDICARE+CHOICE ENROLLMENT.

    Section 1853(c)(4)(B)(i)(II) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395w-23(c)(4)(B)(i)(II)) is amended by inserting ``(or, in the case of 
calculations for payments for months beginning on or after January 1, 
2004, the average number of medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a 
Medicare+Choice plan that are)'' after ``medicare beneficiaries''.
                                 <all>