[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 21 (Monday, March 4, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1422-S1423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself and Mr. Sarbanes):
  S. 1982. A bill to amend chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, 
to increase the Government contribution for Federal employee health 
insurance; to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Federal 
Employees Health Benefits Improvement Act of 2002 along with my 
colleague from Maryland, Senator Sarbanes. This bill would reduce the 
employee portion of premiums costs under the Federal Employee Health 
Benefits Plan.
  Our Federal employees work hard for the American people and they 
deserve quality benefits.
  What is the need for this legislation?
  Health insurance premiums for Federal employees and retirees rose an 
average of 13.3 percent this year. In contrast, wages rose by 4.77 
percent in the Washington-Baltimore area. This follows a 10.5 percent 
increase last year, and increases of greater than 9 percent for 2000 
and 1999. As a result, premiums are nearly 50 percent greater than they 
were just five years ago.
  The Federal program provides health insurance coverage to about 9 
million government workers, retirees and family members. More than 
800,000 of these workers live in the DC metro area.
  Health insurance costs are skyrocketing, and Federal employees are 
paying a greater share of their take home pay for health care each 
year. Currently, Federal employees pay anywhere between 28 percent to 
30 percent of premiums. In the private sector, other large employers 
pay at least 80 percent of premiums and employees pay 20 percent 
according to recent data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
and the Kaiser Family Foundation.
  How would this bill help solve this problem?
  This bill would change the financing formula for Federal Employees 
Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). Under this approach, the federal 
agencies would pay 80 percent of the weighted average for premiums. 
This would help reduce the out-of-pocket health care costs for federal 
employees and improve the affordability of FEHBP immensely.
  What would this mean to Federal employees?
  My bill would help improve the affordability of health care insurance 
for all 9 million. Currently, about 250,000 Federal employees do not 
have health insurance. Many of them cannot afford health care insurance 
at the current rates. My proposal would improve the affordability of 
health care insurance so that many of these workers would be able to 
afford coverage.
  Providing quality benefits for Federal employees is also an important 
tool in helping recruit and retain a high quality workforce and compete 
with the private sector and other state and local governments.
  This bill would have an enormous impact in my State, Maryland, but 
would also benefit Federal workers nationally. Under this proposal, the 
percent that a Federal employee pays in health insurance premiums would 
decline, putting more money into Federal employees pockets each pay 
period.
  This bill improves benefits for our hardworking Federal employees.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in expressing support for this bill.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. BUNNING:
  S. 1984. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services to make grants to nonprofit tax-exempt organizations for the 
purchase of ultrasound equipment to provide free examinations to 
pregnant women needing such services, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1984

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. GRANTS FOR PURCHASE OF ULTRASOUND EQUIPMENT.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human services 
     may make grants for the purchase of ultrasound equipment. 
     Such ultrasound equipment shall be used by the recipients of 
     such grants to provide, under the direction and supervision 
     of a licensed medical physician, free ultrasound examinations 
     to pregnant woman needing such services.
       (b) Eligibility Requirements.--An entity may receive a 
     grant under subsection (a) only if the entity meets the 
     following conditions:
       (1) The entity is a nonprofit private organization that is 
     approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt 
     entity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code 
     of 1986.
       (2) The entity operates as a community based pregnancy help 
     medical clinic, as defined in subsection (f).
       (3) The entity provides medical services to pregnant women 
     under the guidance and supervision of a physician who serves 
     as the medical director of the clinic and is duly licensed to 
     practice medicine in the State in which the entity is 
     located.
       (4) The entity is legally qualified to provide such medical 
     services to pregnant women and is in compliance with all 
     Federal, State, and local requirements for the provision of 
     such services.
       (5) The entity agrees to comply with the following medical 
     procedures:
       (A) Each pregnant woman upon whom the ultrasound equipment 
     is used will be shown the visual image of the fetus from the 
     ultrasound examination and will be given a general anatomical 
     and physiological description of the characteristics of the 
     fetus.
       (B) Each pregnant woman will be given, according to the 
     best medical judgment of the physician performing the 
     ultrasound examination or the physician's agent performing 
     such exam, the approximate age of the embryo or fetus 
     considering the number of weeks elapsed from the probable 
     time of the conception of the embryo or fetus, based upon the 
     information provided by the client as to the time of her last 
     menstrual period, her medical history, a physical 
     examination, or appropriate laboratory tests.
       (C) Each pregnant woman will be given information on 
     abortion and alternatives to

[[Page S1423]]

     abortion such as childbirth and adoption and information 
     concerning public and private agencies that will assist in 
     those alternatives.
       (D) The entity will obtain and maintain medical malpractice 
     insurance in an amount not less than $1,000,000, and such 
     insurance will cover all activities relating to the use of 
     the ultrasound machine purchased with the grant under 
     subsection (a).
       (6) The entity does not receive more than 30 percent of its 
     gross annual revenue from a single source or donor.
       (c) Limitation on Individual Grant Amount.--No grant under 
     subsection (a) may be made in an amount that exceeds an 
     amount equal to 50 percent of the purchase price cost of the 
     ultrasound machine involved, or $20,000, whichever is less.
       (d) Application for Grant.--A grant may be made under 
     subsection (a) only if an application for the grant is 
     submitted to the Secretary and the application is in such 
     form, is made in such manner, and contains such agreements, 
     assurances, and information as the Secretary determines to be 
     necessary to carry out this section.
       (e) Annual Report to Secretary.--A grant may be made under 
     subsection (a) only if the applicant for the grant agrees to 
     report on an annual basis to the Secretary, in such form and 
     manner as the Secretary may require, on the ongoing 
     compliance of the applicant with the eligibility conditions 
     established in subsection (b).
       (f) Definitions.--For purposes of this Act:
       (1) The term ``community based pregnancy help medical 
     clinic'' means a facility that--
       (A) provides free medical services to pregnant women under 
     the supervision and direction of a licensed physician who 
     serves as the medical director for such clinic; and
       (B) does not charge for any services rendered to its 
     clients, whether or not such services are for pregnancy or 
     nonpregnancy related matters.
       (2) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health 
     and Human Services.
       (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there are authorized to be 
     appropriated $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2003, and such sums 
     as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 
     2006.

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