[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 105 (Monday, June 26, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9088-S9089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            MEDICARE SELECT POLICIES ACT--CONFERENCE REPORT

  Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I submit a report of the committee of 
conference on H.R. 483 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The report will be stated.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The committee on conference on the disagreeing votes of the 
     two Houses on the amendment of the Senate to the bill H.R. 
     483, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act 
     to permit Medicare select policies to be offered in all 
     States, and for other purposes, having met, after full and 
     free conference, have agreed to recommend and do recommend to 
     their respective Houses this report, signed by a majority of 
     the conferees.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the Senate will proceed to 
the consideration of the conference report.
  (The conference report is printed in the House proceedings of the 
Record of June 22, 1995.)
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the conference 
report be considered and adopted, the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table, and a statement by Senator Packwood be included in the 
Record at the appropriate place.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The conference report was agreed to.
  Mr. PACKWOOD. Mr. President, I am very pleased with the conference 
agreement on Medicare select. The agreement is very close to the bill 
passed by the Senate. The only major change is extending the program 3 
years instead of 18 months. This is reasonable extension. It gives 
States sufficient time to take the necessary legislative or 
administrative actions to allow Medicare select policies to be sold in 
their states. It also allows insurers sufficient time to develop 
products, bring them to market, and accumulate enough experience for a 
meaningful evaluation of Medicare select policies.
  This legislation will allow people in all the States to have access 
to very popular, lower cost type of Medicare supplemental insurance. 
Remember, Medicare supplemental insurance is private insurance that 
people buy with their own money to cover medical expenses not paid for 
by Medicare. There is no Federal money involved.
  Some concerns have been raised about Medicare select. Since Medicare 
select is a new type of supplemental insurance and the full 
implications of Medicare select for the Medicare Program are not known, 
this legislation contains a safety valve. The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services is to study Medicare select. If the Secretary finds that 
Medicare select is saving seniors money on supplemental insurance, is 
not adding additional costs to the Medicare Program, and has not 
negatively affected quality or access to

[[Page S9089]]

health care, Medicare select automatically becomes a permanent option 
after 3 years. If, on the other hand, the Secretary finds serious 
problems with Medicare select, the program expires June 30, 1998.
  This is a very sensible compromise. It protects the Government 
against unintended consequences while also allowing the program, if 
successful, to become permanent without having Congress take additional 
action.

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