I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2333

To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove special financial

limitations that apply to Puerto Rico and certain other territories under

the Medicaid Program with respect to medical assistance for Medicare

cost-sharing and for veterans.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 23, 1999

Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO ́ (for himself, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr.

KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. SERRANO, and Mr. RANGEL) introduced the

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, and

in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of

such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove

special financial limitations that apply to Puerto Rico

and certain other territories under the Medicaid Program

with respect to medical assistance for Medicare costsharing and for veterans.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2

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1 SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF SPECIAL MEDICAID FINANCIAL

2 LIMITATIONS ON PUERTO RICO AND CER3 TAIN OTHER TERRITORIES ON MEDICARE

4 COST-SHARING AND FOR VETERANS.

5 (a) REMOVAL OF THE DOLLAR CAP.—Section 1108

6 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1308) is amended—

7 (1) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘subsection

8 (g)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (g) and (h)’’;

9 (2) in subsection (g)(2), by inserting ‘‘but sub10 ject to subsection (h),’’ after ‘‘Notwithstanding sub11 section (f),’’; and

12 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub13 section:

14 ‘‘(h) DISREGARDING MEDICAID PAYMENTS FOR CER15 TAIN MEDICARE COST-SHARING AND FOR VETERANS.—

16 The following medical assistance shall not be counted in

17 applying subsections (f) and (g) and such subsections shall

18 not limit the amount of medical assistance provided for

19 the following:

20 ‘‘(1) MEDICARE COST-SHARING FOR QUALIFIED

21 MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES (QMB), SPECIAL LOW-IN22 COME MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES (SLMB), ETC.—

23 Medical assistance provided (other than by American

24 Samoa) in the form of medicare cost-sharing (as de25 fined in section 1905(p)(3)) for qualified medicare

26 beneficiaries (as defined in section 1905(p)(1)), spe-
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1 cial low-income medicare beneficiaries (described in

2 section 1902(a)(10)(E)(iii)), and other individuals

3 described in section 1902(a)(10)(E)(iv).

4 ‘‘(2) VETERANS.—Medical assistance provided

5 (other than by American Samoa) to individuals who

6 are veterans (within the meaning of section 101(2)

7 of title 38, United States Code).’’.

8 (b) REMOVAL OF LIMITATION ON THE FEDERAL

9 MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PERCENTAGE FOR CERTAIN MEDI10 CARE COST-SHARING AND FOR VETERANS.—Section

11 1905(b)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(b)(2)) is amend12 ed by inserting ‘‘for medical assistance other than medical

13 assistance described in paragraph (1) or (2) of section

14 1108(h)’’ after ‘‘the Federal medical assistance percent15 age’’.

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

17 this section are effective beginning with fiscal year 2000

18 and shall apply to medical assistance for medicare cost19 sharing and items and services furnished on and after Oc20 tober 1, 1999.

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