IB 

Union Calendar No. 320 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3751 

[Report No. 108–552] 

To require that the Office of Personnel Management study and present 

options under which dental and vision benefits could be made available 

to Federal employees and retirees and other appropriate classes of individuals. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 30, 2004 

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Government Reform 

JUNE 17, 2004 

Additional sponsor: Mr. VAN HOLLEN

JUNE 17, 2004 

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 

on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

A BILL 

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 June 30, 2004, the 

5 Office of Personnel Management shall submit to Congress 
2 

•HR 3751 RH 

1 a report describing and evaluating options whereby dental 

2 and vision benefits could be made available to— 

3 (1) Federal employees and retirees; 

4 (2) qualified relatives of Federal employees and 

5 retirees; and 

6 (3) other appropriate classes of individuals. 

7 (b) REQUIRED CONTENT.—The report shall in8 clude— 

9 (1) a description of the specific benefits that 

10 could be offered, including any relevant maximums, 

11 limitations, exclusions, and definitions; 

12 (2) a description of the classes of individuals 

13 who should be made eligible for benefits; 

14 (3) a description and assessment of the various 

15 contracting arrangements available to the Govern16 ment, including whether benefits should be con17 tracted for on a regional or national basis; 

18 (4) the estimated cost of those benefits, includ19 ing a statement as to whether any regular Govern20 ment contributions or allocation for start-up costs 

21 might be necessary or appropriate; 

22 (5) a statement as to how those benefits might 

23 be offered through— 

24 (A) the Federal employees health benefits 

25 program, 
3 

•HR 3751 RH 

1 (B) one or more programs apart from the 

2 Federal employees health benefits program, 

3 (C) the program described in subpara4 graph (A) in combination with one or more of 

5 the programs described in subparagraph (B), 

6 and 

7 (D) any other program or method not oth8 erwise described in this paragraph, 

9 as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each; 

10 (6) a recommendation from the Office as to its 

11 preferred method or methods for providing such ben12 efits; and 

13 (7) any legislation or other measures the Office 

14 considers necessary in order to implement any of the 

15 foregoing. 

16 SECTION 1. REPORTING REQUIREMENT. 

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

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

19 Management shall submit to Congress a report describing 

20 and evaluating options whereby additional dental, vision, 

21 and hearing benefits could be made available to— 

22 (1) Federal employees and annuitants; 

23 (2) qualified relatives of Federal employees and 

24 annuitants; and 

25 (3) other appropriate classes of individuals. 
4 

•HR 3751 RH 

1 (b) REQUIRED CONTENT.—The report shall include— 

2 (1) a description of the dental, vision, and hear3 ing benefits currently available under the Federal em4 ployees health benefits program; 

5 (2) a description of the supplemental dental, vi6 sion, and hearing plans currently offered by carriers 

7 participating in the Federal employees health benefits 

8 program; 

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

10 hearing benefits that could be offered in addition to 

11 those described in paragraphs (1) and (2), including 

12 any maximums, limitations, exclusions, and defini13 tions that might be relevant; 

14 (4) a description of the specific classes of indi15 viduals (as referred to generally in paragraphs (1) 

16 through (3) of subsection (a)) to whom those addi17 tional benefits should be made available, including 

18 any definitions and other terms or conditions that 

19 might be relevant; 

20 (5) a description and assessment of the various 

21 contracting arrangements by which the Government 

22 could make those additional benefits available, includ23 ing whether such benefits should be contracted for on 

24 a regional or national basis; 
5 

•HR 3751 RH 

1 (6) the estimated cost of those additional benefits, 

2 including an analysis relating to whether any regular 

3 Government contributions or allocation for start-up 

4 costs might be necessary or appropriate; 

5 (7) a description of how those additional benefits 

6 could be made available through— 

7 (A) the Federal employees health benefits 

8 program; 

9 (B) one or more plans outside the Federal 

10 employees health benefits program, including 

11 supplemental plans referred to in paragraph (2); 

12 (C) the program described in subparagraph 

13 (A) in combination with one or more of the 

14 plans described in subparagraph (B); and 

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

16 coverage delivery method; 

17 (8) an analysis of the advantages and disadvan18 tages associated with the alternatives described under 

19 paragraph (7), including— 

20 (A) the relative cost-effectiveness and effi21 ciency of each; 

22 (B) the likely impact of each alternative on 

23 the overall attractiveness of the Federal employ24 ees health benefits program to individuals eligi-
6 

•HR 3751 RH 

1 ble to enroll, particularly Federal employees and 

2 annuitants; and 

3 (C) the extent to which each alternative 

4 might affect the relative competitiveness of the 

5 various carriers and plans currently partici6 pating in the Federal employees health benefits 

7 program (including as a provider of supple8 mental benefits); 

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

10 preferred method or methods for providing those addi11 tional benefits; and 

12 (10) any proposed legislation or other measures 

13 the Office considers necessary in order to implement 

14 any of the foregoing. 

15 (c) SCREENING FOR GLAUCOMA.—For purposes of this 

16 Act, the term ‘‘vision benefits’’ includes benefits relating to 

17 screening for glaucoma. 

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill 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.’’. 

Union Calendar No. 320 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3751 

[Report No. 108–552] 

A BILL 

To require that the Office of Personnel Managepriate classes of individuals. Federal employees and retirees and other appro- tal and vision benefits could be made available to ment study and present options under which denJUNE 17, 2004 

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 

dered to be printed of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and or-