[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 83 (Thursday, May 18, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S6930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED ON MAY 17, 1995

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                    THE MEDICARE SELECT ACT OF 1995

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                 CHAFEE (AND OTHERS) AMENDMENT NO. 1108

  Mr. CHAFEE (for himself, Mr. Packwood, Mr. Dole, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. 
Rockefeller, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. Gorton) proposed an amendment to the 
bill (H.R. 483) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to 
permit Medicare select policies to be offered in all States, and for 
other purposes; as follows:

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. PERMITTING MEDICARE SELECT POLICIES TO BE OFFERED 
                   IN ALL STATES FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD.

       Section 4358(c) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 
     1990, as amended by section 172(a) of the Social Security Act 
     Amendments of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
       ``(c) Effective Date.--(1) The amendments made by this 
     section shall only apply--
       ``(A) in 15 States (as determined by the Secretary of 
     Health and Human Services) and such other States as elect 
     such amendments to apply to them, and
       ``(B) subject to paragraph (2), during the 5 year period 
     beginning with 1992.
       ``(2)(A) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
     conduct a study that compares the health care costs, quality 
     of care, and access to services under medicare select 
     policies with that under other medicare supplemental 
     policies. The study shall be based on surveys of appropriate 
     age-adjusted sample populations. The study shall be completed 
     by June 30, 1996.
       ``(B) The Secretary shall determine during 1996 whether the 
     amendments made by this section shall remain in effect beyond 
     the 5 year period described in paragraph (1)(B). Such 
     amendments shall remain in effect beyond such period unless 
     the Secretary determines (based on the results of the study 
     under subparagraph (A)) that--
       ``(i) such amendments have not resulted in savings of 
     premiums costs to those enrolled in medicare select policies 
     (in comparison to their enrollment in medicare supplemental 
     policies that are not medicare select policies and that 
     provide comparable coverage),
       ``(ii) there have been significant additional expenditures 
     under the medicare program as a result of such amendments, or
       ``(iii) access to and quality of care has been 
     significantly diminished as a result of such amendments.
       (3) GAO study: The GAO shall study and report to Congress, 
     no later than June 10, 1996, on options for modifying the 
     Medigap market to make sure that continuously insured 
     beneficiaries are able to switch plans without medical 
     underwriting or new pre-existing condition exclusions. In 
     preparing such options, the GAO shall determine if there are 
     problems under the current system and the impact of each 
     option on the cost and availability of insurance, with 
     particular reference to the special problems that may arise 
     for enrollees in Medicare Select plans.''.
     

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