II 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2811 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend the annual, 

coordinated election period under the Medicare part D prescription drug 

program through all of 2006 and to provide for a refund of excess 

premiums paid during 2006, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 16, 2006 

Ms. STABENOW (for herself and Mr. DORGAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend 

the annual, coordinated election period under the Medicare part D prescription drug program through all of 

2006 and to provide for a refund of excess premiums 

paid during 2006, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicare Enrollment 

5 Fairness Act of 2006’’. 


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•S 2811 IS

1 SEC. 2. EXTENDING THE ANNUAL, COORDINATED ELEC2 TION PERIOD THROUGH ALL OF 2006. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1851(e)(3)(B) of the So4 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–21(e)(3)(B)) is 

5 amended— 

6 (1) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘May 15, 2006’’ 

7 and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2006’’; and 

8 (2) by adding at the end the following new sen9 tence: 

10 ‘‘An individual making an election during 

11 the period beginning on November 15, 2006, 

12 and ending on December 15, 2006, shall specify 

13 whether the election is to be effective with re14 spect to 2006 or with respect to 2007 (or 

15 both).’’. 

16 (b) ONE-TIME CHANGE OF PLAN ENROLLMENT FOR

17 MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT DURING ALL

18 OF 2006.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1851(e) of the So20 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–21(e)) is 

21 amended— 

22 (A) in paragraph (2)(B)— 

23 (i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘FOR

24 FIRST 6 MONTHS’’; 

25 (ii) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘the first 

26 6 months of 2006,’’ and all that follows 


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•S 2811 IS

1 through ‘‘is a Medicare+Choice eligible in2 dividual,’’ and inserting ‘‘2006,’’; and 

3 (iii) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘(other 

4 than during 2006)’’ after ‘‘paragraph (3)’’; 

5 and 

6 (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘2006’’ 

7 and inserting ‘‘2007’’ each place it appears. 

8 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

9 1860D–1(b)(1)(B)(iii) of the Social Security Act (42 

10 U.S.C. 1395w–101(b)(1)(B)(iii)) is amended by 

11 striking ‘‘subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph 

12 (2)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (2)(C)’’. 

13 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

14 this section shall take effect as if included in the enact15 ment of section 101(a) of the Medicare Prescription Drug, 

16 Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Public Law 

17 108–173; 117 Stat. 2071). 

18 SEC. 3. INCREASED FUNDING FOR STATE HEALTH INSUR19 ANCE COUNSELING AND ASSISTANCE PRO20 GRAMS. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are hereby appropriated to 

22 the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this sec23 tion referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) an amount equal to 

24 $2 multiplied by the total number of individuals eligible 


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•S 2811 IS

1 for benefits under title XVIII of the Social Security Act 

2 (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.). Such funds shall— 

3 (1) be used by the Secretary to award grants to 

4 States under section 4360 of the Omnibus Budget 

5 Reconciliation Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 1395b–4); 

6 and 

7 (2) remain available until expended. 

8 (b) ALLOCATION OF GRANT FUNDS.—The Secretary 

9 shall ensure that funds appropriated under this section are 

10 allocated to States in an amount equal to the proportion 

11 of the number of residents in the State that are eligible 

12 for benefits under title XVIII of the Social Security Act 

13 (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) in relation to the total number 

14 of individuals eligible for such benefits under such title. 

Æ 


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