[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3751 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
                                H. R. 3751


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 22, 2004

  Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
   To require that the Office of Personnel Management study current 
  practices under which dental, vision, and hearing benefits are made 
   available to Federal employees, annuitants, and other classes of 
 individuals, and to require that the Office also present options and 
recommendations relating to how additional dental, vision, and hearing 
                  benefits could be made so available.

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

SECTION 1. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Office of Personnel Management shall submit 
to Congress a report describing and evaluating options whereby 
additional dental, vision, and hearing benefits could be made available 
to--
            (1) Federal employees and annuitants;
            (2) qualified relatives of Federal employees and 
        annuitants; and
            (3) other appropriate classes of individuals.
    (b) Required Content.--The report shall include--
            (1) a description of the dental, vision, and hearing 
        benefits currently available under the Federal employees health 
        benefits program;
            (2) a description of the supplemental dental, vision, and 
        hearing plans currently offered by carriers participating in 
        the Federal employees health benefits program;
            (3) a description of specific dental, vision, and hearing 
        benefits that could be offered in addition to those described 
        in paragraphs (1) and (2), including any maximums, limitations, 
        exclusions, and definitions that might be relevant;
            (4) a description of the specific classes of individuals 
        (as referred to generally in paragraphs (1) through (3) of 
        subsection (a)) to whom those additional benefits should be 
        made available, including any definitions and other terms or 
        conditions that might be relevant;
            (5) a description and assessment of the various contracting 
        arrangements by which the Government could make those 
        additional benefits available, including whether such benefits 
        should be contracted for on a regional or national basis;
            (6) the estimated cost of those additional benefits, 
        including an analysis relating to whether any regular 
        Government contributions or allocation for start-up costs might 
        be necessary or appropriate;
            (7) a description of how those additional benefits could be 
        made available through--
                    (A) the Federal employees health benefits program;
                    (B) one or more plans outside the Federal employees 
                health benefits program, including supplemental plans 
                referred to in paragraph (2);
                    (C) the program described in subparagraph (A) in 
                combination with one or more of the plans described in 
                subparagraph (B); and
                    (D) any other dental, vision, and hearing coverage 
                delivery method;
            (8) an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages 
        associated with the alternatives described under paragraph (7), 
        including--
                    (A) the relative cost-effectiveness and efficiency 
                of each;
                    (B) the likely impact of each alternative on the 
                overall attractiveness of the Federal employees health 
                benefits program to individuals eligible to enroll, 
                particularly Federal employees and annuitants; and
                    (C) the extent to which each alternative might 
                affect the relative competitiveness of the various 
                carriers and plans currently participating in the 
                Federal employees health benefits program (including as 
                a provider of supplemental benefits);
            (9) a recommendation from the Office as to its preferred 
        method or methods for providing those additional benefits; and
            (10) any proposed legislation or other measures the Office 
        considers necessary in order to implement any of the foregoing.
    (c) Screening for Glaucoma.--For purposes of this Act, the term 
``vision benefits'' includes benefits relating to screening for 
glaucoma.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 21, 2004.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.