II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2976

To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to allow States to provide

health benefits coverage for parents of children eligible for child health

assistance under the State children’s health insurance program.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 27, 2000

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. BYRD, and Mrs. BOXER) introduced the

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

A BILL

To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to allow

States to provide health benefits coverage for parents

of children eligible for child health assistance under the

State children’s health insurance program.

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 ‘‘Family Health Insur5 ance Program Act of 2000’’.
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1 SEC. 2. STATE OPTION TO PROVIDE HEALTH BENEFITS

2 COVERAGE FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN ELI3 GIBLE FOR CHILD HEALTH ASSISTANCE

4 UNDER THE STATE CHILDREN’S HEALTH IN5 SURANCE PROGRAM.

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title XXI of the Social Security

7 Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.) is amended by adding at

8 the end the following new section:

9 ‘‘SEC. 2111. OPTIONAL COVERAGE OF PARENTS OF TAR10 GETED LOW-INCOME CHILDREN.

11 ‘‘(a) OPTIONAL COVERAGE.—Notwithstanding any

12 other provision of this title, a State child health plan may

13 provide for coverage, through an amendment to its State

14 child health plan under section 2102, of parental health

15 assistance for targeted low-income parents in accordance

16 with this section.

17 ‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:

18 ‘‘(1) PARENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE.—The

19 term ‘parental health assistance’ has the meaning

20 given the term child health assistance in section

21 2110(a) as if any reference to targeted low-income

22 children were a reference to targeted low-income

23 parents.

24 ‘‘(2) TARGETED LOW-INCOME PARENT.—The

25 term ‘targeted low-income parent’ means an indi26 vidual who—
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1 ‘‘(A) is a parent of a targeted low-income

2 child or of a child who would be a targeted low3 income child but for the child’s eligibility for

4 medical assistance under title XIX; and

5 ‘‘(B) otherwise satisfies the requirements

6 for a child to be a targeted low-income child (as

7 described in section 2110(b)).

8 ‘‘(3) PARENT.—The term ‘parent’ means an in9 dividual who is a caretaker relative of a child de10 scribed in paragraph (2)(A). Such term includes

11 parents, stepparents with whom the child resides,

12 appointed guardians, grandparents, and other rel13 atives.

14 ‘‘(c) REFERENCES TO TERMS AND SPECIAL

15 RULES.—In the case of, and with respect to, a State pro16 viding for coverage of parental health assistance to tar17 geted low-income parents under subsection (a), the fol18 lowing special rules apply:

19 ‘‘(1) Any reference in this title (other than in

20 subsection (b)) to a targeted low-income child is

21 deemed to include a reference to a targeted low-in22 come parent.

23 ‘‘(2) Any such reference to child health assist24 ance with respect to such a parent is deemed a ref25 erence to parental health assistance.
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1 ‘‘(3) Any such reference to a child (other than

2 in section 2104(b)) is deemed a reference to a par3 ent of such child.

4 ‘‘(4) In applying section 2103(e)(3)(B) in the

5 case of a parent provided coverage under this sec6 tion, the limitation on total annual aggregate cost7 sharing shall be applied to the entire family.

8 ‘‘(5) Section 2105(c)(3) shall be applied without

9 regard to subparagraph (A).

10 ‘‘(6) Section 1905(u)(2)(A) shall be applied as

11 if any reference to optional targeted low-income chil12 dren includes a reference to targeted low-income

13 parents.

14 ‘‘(d) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this

15 section shall be construed—

16 ‘‘(1) as affecting—

17 ‘‘(A) the total amount available for allot18 ments under section 2104(a); or

19 ‘‘(B) the amount of the allotment provided

20 to a State under section 2104(b); or

21 ‘‘(2) as requiring a State to provide parental

22 health assistance to all targeted low-income par23 ents.’’.
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1 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by

2 this section applies to items and services furnished on or

3 after October 1, 2000.

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