[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 526 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 526

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to 
   Medicare+Choice plans for special needs medicare beneficiaries by 
  allowing plans to target enrollment to special needs beneficiaries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 5, 2003

    Mr. Hatch (for himself, Mr. Graham of Florida, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. 
   Coleman, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Allard, and Mr. Dayton) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                                Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to 
   Medicare+Choice plans for special needs medicare beneficiaries by 
  allowing plans to target enrollment to special needs beneficiaries.

    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 Improvements for Special 
Needs Beneficiaries Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. SPECIALIZED MEDICARE+CHOICE PLANS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS 
              BENEFICIARIES.

    (a) Treatment as Coordinated Care Plan.--Section 1851(a)(2)(A) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-21(a)(2)(A)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new sentence: ``Specialized 
Medicare+Choice plans for special needs beneficiaries (as defined in 
section 1859(b)(4)) may be any type of coordinated care plan.''.
    (b) Specialized Medicare+Choice Plan for Special Needs 
Beneficiaries Defined.--Section 1859(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-
29(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) Specialized medicare+choice plans for special needs 
        beneficiaries.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `specialized 
                Medicare+Choice plan for special needs beneficiaries' 
                means a Medicare+Choice plan that exclusively serves 
                special needs beneficiaries (as defined in subparagraph 
                (B)).
                    ``(B) Special needs beneficiary.--The term `special 
                needs beneficiary' means a Medicare+Choice eligible 
                individual who--
                            ``(i) is institutionalized (as defined by 
                        the Secretary);
                            ``(ii) is entitled to medical assistance 
                        under a State plan under title XIX; or
                            ``(iii) meets such requirements as the 
                        Secretary may determine would benefit from 
                        enrollment in such a specialized 
                        Medicare+Choice plan described in subparagraph 
                        (A) for individuals with severe or disabling 
                        chronic conditions.''.
    (c) Restriction on Enrollment Permitted.--Section 1859 of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395w-29) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(f) Restriction on Enrollment for Specialized Medicare+Choice 
Plans for Special Needs Beneficiaries.--In the case of a specialized 
Medicare+Choice plan (as defined in subsection (b)(4)), notwithstanding 
any other provision of this part and in accordance with regulations of 
the Secretary and for periods before January 1, 2008, the plan may 
restrict the enrollment of individuals under the plan to individuals 
who are within 1 or more classes of special needs beneficiaries.''.
    (d) Report to Congress.--Not later than December 31, 2006, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to Congress a 
report that assesses the impact of specialized Medicare+Choice plans 
for special needs beneficiaries on the cost and quality of services 
provided to enrollees. Such report shall include an assessment of the 
costs and savings to the medicare program as a result of amendments 
made by subsections (a), (b), and (c).
    (e) Effective Dates.--
            (1) In general.--The amendments made by subsections (a), 
        (b), and (c) shall take effect on the date of enactment of this 
        Act.
            (2) Deadline for issuance of requirements for special needs 
        beneficiaries; transition.--No later than the date that is 1 
        year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services shall issue final regulations to 
        establish requirements for special needs beneficiaries under 
        section 1859(b)(4)(B)(iii) of the Social Security Act, as added 
        by subsection (b).
                                 <all>