IIB 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3751

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 22, 2004

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs 

AN ACT

To require that the Office of Personnel Management study 

current practices under which dental, vision, and hearing 

benefits are made available to Federal employees, annuitants, and other classes of individuals, and to require 

that the Office also present options and recommendations 

relating to how additional dental, vision, and hearing 

benefits could be made so available.
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HR 3751 RFS 

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

3 SECTION 1. REPORTING REQUIREMENT. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, the Office of Personnel 

6 Management shall submit to Congress a report describing 

7 and evaluating options whereby additional dental, vision, 

8 and hearing benefits could be made available to—

9 (1) Federal employees and annuitants; 

10 (2) qualified relatives of Federal employees and 

11 annuitants; and 

12 (3) other appropriate classes of individuals. 

13 (b) REQUIRED CONTENT.—The report shall in14 clude—

15 (1) a description of the dental, vision, and hear16 ing benefits currently available under the Federal 

17 employees health benefits program; 

18 (2) a description of the supplemental dental, vi19 sion, and hearing plans currently offered by carriers 

20 participating in the Federal employees health bene21 fits program; 

22 (3) a description of specific dental, vision, and 

23 hearing benefits that could be offered in addition to 

24 those described in paragraphs (1) and (2), including 
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1 any maximums, limitations, exclusions, and defini2 tions that might be relevant; 

3 (4) a description of the specific classes of indi4 viduals (as referred to generally in paragraphs (1) 

5 through (3) of subsection (a)) to whom those addi6 tional benefits should be made available, including 

7 any definitions and other terms or conditions that 

8 might be relevant; 

9 (5) a description and assessment of the various 

10 contracting arrangements by which the Government 

11 could make those additional benefits available, in12 cluding whether such benefits should be contracted 

13 for on a regional or national basis; 

14 (6) the estimated cost of those additional bene15 fits, including an analysis relating to whether any 

16 regular Government contributions or allocation for 

17 start-up costs might be necessary or appropriate; 

18 (7) a description of how those additional bene19 fits could be made available through—

20 (A) the Federal employees health benefits 

21 program; 

22 (B) one or more plans outside the Federal 

23 employees health benefits program, including 

24 supplemental plans referred to in paragraph 

25 (2); 
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1 (C) the program described in subpara2 graph (A) in combination with one or more of 

3 the plans described in subparagraph (B); and 

4 (D) any other dental, vision, and hearing 

5 coverage delivery method; 

6 (8) an analysis of the advantages and disadvan7 tages associated with the alternatives described 

8 under paragraph (7), including—

9 (A) the relative cost-effectiveness and effi10 ciency of each; 

11 (B) the likely impact of each alternative on 

12 the overall attractiveness of the Federal employ13 ees health benefits program to individuals eligi14 ble to enroll, particularly Federal employees 

15 and annuitants; and 

16 (C) the extent to which each alternative 

17 might affect the relative competitiveness of the 

18 various carriers and plans currently partici19 pating in the Federal employees health benefits 

20 program (including as a provider of supple21 mental benefits); 

22 (9) a recommendation from the Office as to its 

23 preferred method or methods for providing those ad24 ditional benefits; and 
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1 (10) any proposed legislation or other measures 

2 the Office considers necessary in order to implement 

3 any of the foregoing. 

4 (c) SCREENING FOR GLAUCOMA.—For purposes of 

5 this Act, the term ‘‘vision benefits’’ includes benefits relat6 ing to screening for glaucoma.

Passed the House of Representatives June 21, 2004. 

Attest: JEFF TRANDAHL, 

Clerk.