JUN25 105thcongress S.912 1stSession To provide for certain militaryretirees and dependents a special medicare part B enroDment period duringwhich the late enrollment penaltyis waivedandaspecialraedigap open enrollment periodduringwhichno underwritingispermitted. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June16,1997 Mr.Bondintroducedthefollowingbill;whichwasreadtwiceandreferredto theCommitteeonFinance A BILL To provide for certain military retirees and dependents a special medicare part B enrollment period duringwhich the late enrollment penalty is waived and a special medigap open enrollment period duringwhich no under- writingispermitted. 1 BeitenactedhytheSenateandHouseofRepresenta- 2 tivesoftheUnitedStatesofAmericainCongressassembled, — 2 1 SECTION1.MEDICAREPARTBSPECIALENROLLMENTPE- 2 RIODANDWAIVEROFPARTBLATEENROLL- 3 MENT PENALTY AND MEDIGAP SPECIAL 4 OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR CERTAIN 5 MILITARYRETIREESANDDEPENDENTS. 6 (a) Medicare Part B Special Enrollment Pe- 7 RIOD;WaiverofPartBPenaltyforLateEnroll- 8 MENT. — 9 (1) In general. In the case of any eligible 10 individual (as defined in subsection (c)), the Sec- 11 retary ofHealth and Human Services shall provide 12 for a special enrollmentperiod duringwhichthe in- 13 dividual may enroll under part B oftitle XVTTT of 14 the Social SecurityAct (42 U.S.C. 1395j et seq.). 15 Such period shall be for a period of 6 months and 16 shallbeginwiththe firstmonththatbegins atleast 17 45daysafterthedateofenactmentofthisAct. — IS (2) Coverage period. In the case ofan eli- 19 gihleindividualwhoenrollsduringthespecialenroU- 20 ment period providedunderparagraph (1), the cov- 21 erageperiodunderpartB oftitleXVIH ofthe So- 22 cial SecurityAct shallbegin on the first dayofthe 23 month following the month in which the individual 24 enroUs. -i 25 (3) Waiver of part b late enrollment^ — 26 PENALTY. Inthe caseofanehgibleindividualwho •S912IS — 1 enrollsduringthespecialenrollmentperiodprovided 2 underparagraph (1), there shallbenoincreasepur- 3 suant to section 1839(b) ofthe Social SecurityAct 4 (42 U.S.C. 1395r(b)) inthemonthlypremiumunder 5 partBoftitleXVinofsuchAct. • 6 (b) Medigap Special Open Enrollment Pe- — 7 RIOD. Notwithstandinganyotherprovisionoflaw,anis- 8 suerofamedicaresupplementalpohcy(asdefinedinsec- 9 tion 1882(g) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 10 1395ss))— 11 • (1) may not deny or condition the issuance or 12 effectiveness ofa medicare supplementalpolicy; and 13 (2) may not discriminate in the pricing ofthe 14 policyonthe basis ofthe individual's health status, 15 medical condition (includingbothphysical and men- 16 tal illnesses), claims experience, receipt of health 17 care, medical history, genetic information, evidence 18 of insurability (including conditions arising out of 19 actsofdomesticviolence),ordisability; 20 in the case of an eligible individual who seeks to enroll 21 duringthe 6-monthperioddescribedinsubsection (a)(1). — 22 (c) Eligible Individual Defined. In this sec- 23 tion,theterm"eligibleindividual"meansanindividual 24 (1)who, asofthedateoftheenactmentofthis 25 Act, has attained 65 years of age and was eligible 'S912IS IIIIIIIIIIIIIII 1 to enroll under part B oftitle XVIII ofthe Social 2 SecurityAct,and 3 (2)whoatthetimetheindividualfirstsatisfied 4 paragraph (1) or (2) of section 1836 ofthe Social 5 SecurityAct(42U.S.C. 1395o)— 6 (A) was a covered beneficiary (as defined 7 in section 1072(5) of title 10, United States 8 ' Code),and 9 (B) didnotelecttoenroll (ortobedeemed 10 enrolled)undersection 1837oftheSocialSecu- 11 rityAct (42 U.S.C. 1395p) duringthe individ- 12 ual'sinitialenrollmentperiod. 13 The SecretaryofHealth and Human Services shall con- 14 suitwiththe Secretary^ofDefenseintheidentificationof 15 eligibleindividuals. O 1 S912IS