[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 106 (Thursday, August 3, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S8817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN:
  S. 3802. A bill to amend the Consolidated Omnibus Budget 
Reconciliation Act of 1985 to expand the county organized health 
insuring organizations authorized to enroll Medicaid beneficiaries; to 
the Committee on Finance.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, this bill will allow two California 
counties, Ventura and Merced, to provide health care to Medi-Cal 
beneficiaries through the model they have determined best meets their 
communities' needs.
  This legislation allows Merced and Ventura to establish community 
operated health systems, COHS, and raises the percentage of Medi-Cal 
beneficiaries who are enrolled in these programs from 16 percent to 18 
percent.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I ask unanimous 
consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3802

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

     SECTION 1. EXPANSION OF AUTHORIZED COUNTY MEDICAID ORGANIZED 
                   HEALTH INSURING ORGANIZATIONS.

       (a) In General.--Section 9517(c)(3) of the Consolidated 
     Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (42 U.S.C. 1396b 
     note), as added by section 4734 of the Omnibus Budget 
     Reconciliation Act of 1990 and as amended by section 704 of 
     the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and 
     Protection Act of 2000, is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, in the case of 
     any health insuring organization described in such 
     subparagraph that is operated by a public entity established 
     by Ventura county, and in the case of any health insuring 
     organization described in such subparagraph that is operated 
     by a public entity established by Merced county'' after 
     ``described in subparagraph (B)''; and
       (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``14 percent'' and 
     inserting ``16 percent''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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