[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
              OCC AND OTS HEALTH BENEFITS CONTINUATION ACT

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Post Office and Civil Service be discharged from further 
consideration of the bill (H.R. 5164) to provide for the enrollment of 
individuals enrolled in a health benefits plan administered by the 
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency or the Office of Thrift 
Supervision in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and ask 
for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I do not 
object, but would simply like to inform the House that the minority has 
no objection to the legislation now being considered, and I rise in 
strong support of H.R. 5164.
  Mr. Speaker, it is important that we see that health insurance 
coverage for employees and retirees of the Office of Thrift Supervision 
and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, that the coverage 
does not lapse. This is a must-pass legislation, and I urge my 
colleagues in the other body to quickly consider and approve this 
measure.
  Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia [Ms. Norton].
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5164, the OCC and OTS Health Benefits 
Continuation Act, permits employees and retirees of the Office of the 
Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Office of Thrift Supervision 
(OTS) to enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program 
(FEHBP).
  Several years ago, both the OCC and OTS elected to establish their 
own health care plans outside of FEHBP. Today, however, the cost of 
these plans has grown to where these two agencies, with their shrinking 
budgets can no longer afford to continue them. The plans will be 
terminated in January 1994. Current employees will have the opportunity 
to switch to FEHBP during the upcoming open season. However, employees 
nearing retirement and current retires will be adversely affected by 
the elimination of the health plan unless this legislation is enacted.
  The bill permits employees to have their OCC or OTS health plan 
treated like FEHBP health coverage. This is necessary because unless 
Federal employees are covered under FEHBP for at least 5 years 
immediately preceding retirement, they cannot continue their FEHBP 
coverage into retirement. Therefore this bill eliminates the potential 
that employees within 5 years of retirement will be forced to work 
longer so as not to lose their health insurance. With respect to 
current retirees, if no action is taken on this bill, OCC and OTS will 
be forced to purchase expensive private health coverage once their 
current health plan expires so that the retirees will not be left 
without any coverage whatsoever.
  The bill provides that OCC and OTS will pay the Employees Health 
Benefit Fund an amount determined by the Office of Personnel Management 
to cover the FEHBP benefits not otherwise paid for by the enrollees. 
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that as the result of 
this payment this bill has no cost and that Federal outlays would not 
change.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the bill, as follows:

                               H.R. 5164

       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 ``OCC and OTS Health Benefits 
     Continuation Act''.

     SEC. 2. ENROLLMENT OF CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS IN FEHBP.

       (a) Periods of Enrollment Under OCC or OTS Health Benefits 
     Plans.--Any period of enrollment under a health benefits plan 
     administered by the Office of the Comptroller of he Currency 
     or the Office of Thrift Supervision prior to the termination 
     of such plans on January 7, 1995, shall be deemed to be a 
     period of enrollment in a health benefits plan under chapter 
     89 of title 5, United States Code.
       (b) Continuation of Coverage.--(1) Any individual who, on 
     January 7, 1995, is covered by a health benefits plan 
     administered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency 
     or the Office of Thrift Supervision may, effective January 8, 
     1995, enroll in an approved health benefits plan described by 
     section 8903 or 8903a of title 5, United States Code, either 
     as an individual or for self and family, if such individual 
     is an employee, annuitant, or former spouse as defined in 
     section 8901 of such title 5.
       (2) An individual who, as of January 7, 1995, is entitled 
     to continue coverage under a health benefits plan 
     administered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency 
     or the Office of Thrift Supervision shall be deemed to be 
     entitled to continue coverage under section 8905a of title 5, 
     United States Code, for the same period that would have been 
     permitted under the plan administered by the Office of the 
     Comptroller of the Currency or the Office of Thrift 
     Supervision, and such individual may, effective January 8, 
     1995, enroll in an approved health benefits plan described 
     by section 8903 or 8903a of such title 5 in accordance 
     with section 8905a of such title.
       (3) An individual who, on January 7, 1995, is covered as an 
     unmarried dependent child under a health benefits plan 
     administered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency 
     or the Office of Thrift Supervision and who is not a ``member 
     of family'' as defined in section 8901(5) of title 5, United 
     States Code, shall be deemed to be entitled to continue 
     coverage under section 8905a of such title 5 as though the 
     individual had, on January 7, 1995, ceased to meet the 
     requirements for being considered an unmarried dependent 
     child under chapter 89 of title 5, and such individual may, 
     effective January 8, 1995, enroll in an approved health 
     benefits plan described by section 8903 or 8903a of title 5 
     in accordance with section 8905a.
       (c) Transfer to Employees Health Benefits Fund.--The Office 
     of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Office of Thrift 
     Supervision shall transfer to the Employees Health Benefits 
     Fund established under section 8909 of title 5, United States 
     Code, amounts determined by the Director of the Office of 
     Personnel Management, after consultation with the Comptroller 
     of the Currency and the Director of the Office of Thrift 
     Supervision, to be necessary to reimburse the fund for the 
     cost of providing benefits under this section not otherwise 
     paid for by the individuals covered by this section. The 
     amounts so transferred shall be held in the fund and used by 
     the office in addition to amounts available under section 
     8906(g)(1) of title 5, United States Code.
       (d) Regulations.--The Office of Personnel Management may 
     prescribe regulations to implement this section.

  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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