[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1479 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1479

  To preserve Medicare beneficiary choice by restoring and expanding 
       Medicare open enrollment and disenrollment opportunities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 2, 2011

 Mr. Casey (for himself and Mr. Toomey) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To preserve Medicare beneficiary choice by restoring and expanding 
       Medicare open enrollment and disenrollment opportunities.

    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 Beneficiary Preservation of 
Choice Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. PRESERVATION OF MEDICARE BENEFICIARY CHOICE UNDER MEDICARE 
              ADVANTAGE.

    (a) In General.--Section 1851(e)(2)(C) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395w-21(e)(2)(C)) is amended to read as follows:
                    ``(C) Continuous open enrollment and disenrollment 
                for first 3 months in subsequent years.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii) 
                        and subparagraph (D), at any time during the 
                        first 3 months of a year, or, if the individual 
                        first becomes a Medicare Advantage eligible 
                        individual during a year, during the first 3 
                        months of such year in which the individual is 
                        a Medicare Advantage eligible individual, a 
                        Medicare Advantage eligible individual may 
                        change the election under subsection (a)(1).
                            ``(ii) Limitation of one change during open 
                        enrollment period each year.--An individual may 
                        exercise the right under clause (i) only once 
                        during the applicable 3-month period described 
                        in such clause in each year. The limitation 
                        under this clause shall not apply to changes in 
                        elections effected during an annual, 
                        coordinated election period under paragraph (3) 
                        or during a special enrollment period under 
                        paragraph (4).
                            ``(iii) Limited application to part d.--The 
                        previous provisions of this subparagraph shall 
                        only apply with respect to changes in 
                        enrollment in a prescription drug plan under 
                        part D in the case of an individual who, 
                        previous to such change in enrollment, is 
                        enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1860D-1(b)(1)(B)(iii) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-101(b)(1)(B)(iii)) is amended by striking ``, 
(C),''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to 2012 and succeeding years.
                                 <all>