[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2626 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2626

     To remove limitations on inmate eligibility for Medicare, the 
  Children's Health Insurance Program, and veteran's health benefits.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 17, 2019

  Mr. Merkley introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To remove limitations on inmate eligibility for Medicare, the 
  Children's Health Insurance Program, and veteran's health benefits.

    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 ``Restoring Health Benefits for 
Justice-Involved Individuals Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. REMOVAL OF INMATE LIMITATION ON BENEFITS UNDER MEDICARE, CHIP, 
              AND VETERANS' HEALTH BENEFITS.

    (a) Medicare.--Section 1862(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395y(a)(3)) is amended by inserting ``in the case of services 
furnished to individuals who are in custody pending disposition of 
charges,'' after ``1880(e),''.
    (b) CHIP.--Section 2110(b)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1397jj(b)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting ``(except as an 
individual in custody pending disposition of charges)'' after ``inmate 
of a public institution''.
    (c) Provision of Health Care From Department of Veterans Affairs to 
Incarcerated Veterans Pending Disposition of Charges.--The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs may not exclude a veteran from the receipt of health 
care under the laws administered by the Secretary, including hospital 
care and outpatient care, solely because the veteran is incarcerated 
pending the disposition of charges.
    (d) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made by this 
section shall take effect on the first day of the first calendar 
quarter beginning more than 60 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act and shall apply to items, services, and health care benefits 
furnished for periods beginning on or after such date.
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