[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6174 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6174

  To amend part C of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to reduce 
variation in Medicare Advantage payment rates among counties within the 
        same State within certain very large metropolitan area.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 3, 2008

  Mr. Wexler 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 part C of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to reduce 
variation in Medicare Advantage payment rates among counties within the 
        same State within certain very large metropolitan area.

    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 ``Equality in Medicare Advantage 
Payment Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. REDUCING VARIATION IN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PAYMENT RATES AMONG 
              COUNTIES IN THE SAME STATE WITHIN CERTAIN VERY LARGE 
              METROPOLITAN AREAS.

    Section 1853(k) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-23(k)) 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``paragraph (2)'' and 
        inserting ``paragraphs (2) and (4)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) Budget-neutral adjustment to reduce variation in 
        applicable amounts among ma local areas within same state in a 
        very large metropolitan area.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Beginning with 2009, the 
                Secretary shall adjust the applicable amount so that, 
                for MA local areas located within the same State within 
                a very large metropolitan area described in 
                subparagraph (B), the lowest applicable amount for such 
                an MA local area is not less than the applicable 
                minimum percentage (specified in subparagraph (C)) of 
                the highest applicable amount for such an MA local 
                area. Such adjustment shall be made in a manner, as 
                estimated by the Secretary, that does not result in any 
                increase or decrease in aggregate payments under this 
                title.
                    ``(B) Very large metropolitan area described.--A 
                very large metropolitan area described in this 
                subparagraph is a metropolitan statistical area which, 
                based on the data from the 2000 Census, has a 
                population of not less than 5,000,000, and which has, 
                within such area, more than one MA local area (but not 
                more than three MA local areas) within the same State.
                    ``(C) Applicable minimum percentage.--The 
                applicable minimum percentage specified in this 
                subparagraph--
                            ``(i) for 2009 is 85 percent;
                            ``(ii) for 2010 is 90 percent;
                            ``(iii) for 2011 is 95 percent; and
                            ``(iv) for a subsequent year is 97 
                        percent.''.
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