[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3751 Reported in House (RH)]






                                                 Union Calendar No. 320
108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3751

                          [Report No. 108-552]

 To require that the Office of Personnel Management study and present 
options under which dental and vision benefits could be made available 
  to Federal employees and retirees and other appropriate classes of 
                              individuals.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 30, 2004

Mrs. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Government Reform

                             June 17, 2004

                   Additional sponsor: Mr. Van Hollen

                             June 17, 2004

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than June 30, 2004, the Office 
of Personnel Management shall submit to Congress a report describing 
and evaluating options whereby dental and vision benefits could be made 
available to--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Federal employees and retirees;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) qualified relatives of Federal employees and 
        retirees; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) other appropriate classes of 
        individuals.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Required Content.--The report shall include--
</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) a description of the specific benefits that 
        could be offered, including any relevant maximums, limitations, 
        exclusions, and definitions;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) a description of the classes of individuals 
        who should be made eligible for benefits;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) a description and assessment of the various 
        contracting arrangements available to the Government, including 
        whether benefits should be contracted for on a regional or 
        national basis;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the estimated cost of those benefits, 
        including a statement as to whether any regular Government 
        contributions or allocation for start-up costs might be 
        necessary or appropriate;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) a statement as to how those benefits might be 
        offered through--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the Federal employees health benefits 
                program,</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) one or more programs apart from the 
                Federal employees health benefits program,</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) the program described in subparagraph 
                (A) in combination with one or more of the programs 
                described in subparagraph (B), and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) any other program or method not 
                otherwise described in this paragraph,</DELETED>
        <DELETED>as well as the advantages and disadvantages of 
        each;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) a recommendation from the Office as to its 
        preferred method or methods for providing such benefits; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) any legislation or other measures the Office 
        considers necessary in order to implement any of the 
        foregoing.</DELETED>

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.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill 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.''.




                                                 Union Calendar No. 320

108th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 3751

                          [Report No. 108-552]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To require that the Office of Personnel Management study and present 
options under which dental and vision benefits could be made available 
  to Federal employees and retirees and other appropriate classes of 
                              individuals.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             June 17, 2004

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed