which the individual is 65 years of age or older and
is enrolled for benefits under part B; and
‘‘(II) for each time the individual becomes eligi-
ble for benefits under part A pursuant to section
226(b) or 226A and is enrolled for benefits under
part B, before the end of the 6-month period begin-
ning with the first month as of the first day on
which the individual is so eligible and so enrolled.’’.
(e) EFFECTIVE DATES.—
(1) GUARANTEED
ISSUE.—The amendment
made by subsection (a) shall take effect on July 1,
1998.
(2) LIMIT ON PREEXISTING CONDITION EXCLU-
SIONS.—The amendment made by subsection (b)
shall apply to policies issued on or after July 1,
1998.
(3) CLARIFICATION
OF
NONDISCRIMINATION
REQUIREMENTS.—The amendment made by sub-
section (c) shall apply to policies issued on or after
July 1, 1998.
(4) EXTENSION OF ENROLLMENT PERIOD TO
DISABLED INDIVIDUALS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The amendment made
by subsection (d) shall take effect on July 1,
1998.
(B) TRANSITION RULE.—In the case of an
individual who first became eligible for benefits
under part A of title XVIII of the Social Secu-
rity Act pursuant to section 226(b) or 226A of
such Act and enrolled for benefits under part B
of such title before July 1, 1998, the 6-month
period described in section 1882(s)(2)(A) of
such Act shall begin on July 1, 1998. Before
July 1, 1998, the Secretary of Health and
Human Services shall notify any individual de-
scribed in the previous sentence of their rights
in connection with Medicare supplemental poli-
cies under section 1882 of such Act, by reason
of the amendment made by subsection (d).
(f) TRANSITION PROVISIONS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary of Health
and Human Services identifies a State as requiring
a change to its statutes or regulations to conform its
regulatory program to the changes made by this sec-
tion, the State regulatory program shall not be con-
sidered to be out of compliance with the require-
ments of section 1882 of the Social Security Act due
solely to failure to make such change until the date
specified in paragraph (4).
(2) NAIC STANDARDS.—If, within 9 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Na-
tional Association of Insurance Commissioners (in
this subsection referred to as the ‘‘NAIC’’) modifies
its NAIC Model Regulation relating to section 1882
of the Social Security Act (referred to in such sec-
tion as the 1991 NAIC Model Regulation, as modi-
fied pursuant to section 171(m)(2) of the Social Se-
curity Act Amendments of 1994 (Public Law 103–
432) 
and 
as 
modified 
pursuant 
to 
section
1882(d)(3)(A)(vi)(IV) of the Social Security Act, as
added by section 271(a) of the Health Care Port-
ability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law
104–191) to conform to the amendments made by
this section, such revised regulation incorporating
the modifications shall be considered to be the appli-
cable NAIC model regulation (including the revised
NAIC model regulation and the 1991 NAIC Model
Regulation) for the purposes of such section.
(3) SECRETARY
STANDARDS.—If the NAIC
does not make the modifications described in para-
graph (2) within the period specified in such para-
graph, the Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall make the modifications described in such para-
graph and such revised regulation incorporating the
modifications shall be considered to be the appro-
priate Regulation for the purposes of such section.
(4) DATE SPECIFIED.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), the date specified in this paragraph
for a State is the earlier of—
(i) the date the State changes its stat-
utes or regulations to conform its regu-
latory program to the changes made by
this section, or
(ii) 1 year after the date the NAIC or
the Secretary first makes the modifications
under paragraph (2) or (3), respectively.
(B) ADDITIONAL LEGISLATIVE ACTION RE-
QUIRED.—In the case of a State which the Sec-
retary identifies as—
(i) requiring State legislation (other
than legislation appropriating funds) to
conform its regulatory program to the
changes made in this section, but
(ii) having a legislature which is not
scheduled to meet in 1999 in a legislative
session in which such legislation may be
considered,
the date specified in this paragraph is the first
day of the first calendar quarter beginning after
the close of the first legislative session of the
State legislature that begins on or after July 1,
1999. For purposes of the previous sentence, in
the case of a State that has a 2-year legislative
session, each year of such session shall be
deemed to be a separate regular session of the
State legislature.
SEC. 3. INFORMATION FOR MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES.
(a) GRANT PROGRAM.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and
Human Services (in this section referred to as the
‘‘Secretary’’) is authorized to provide grants to—
(A) 
private, 
independent, 
non-profit
consumer organizations, and
(B) State agencies,
to conduct programs to prepare and make available
to Medicare beneficiaries comprehensive and under-
standable information on enrollment in health plans
with a Medicare managed care contract and in Medi-
care supplemental policies in which they are eligible
to enroll. Nothing in this section shall be construed
as preventing the Secretary from making a grant to
an organization under this section to carry out ac-
tivities for which a grant may be made under section
4360 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of
1990 (Public Law 101–508).
(2) CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS.—Any
eligible organization with a Medicare managed care
contract or any issuer of a Medicare supplemental
policy shall—
(A) conduct, in accordance with minimum
standards 
approved 
by 
the 
Secretary, 
a
consumer satisfaction survey of the enrollees
under such contract or such policy; and
(B) make the results of such survey avail-
able to Secretary and the State Insurance Com-
missioner of the State in which the enrollees are
so enrolled.
The Secretary shall make the results of such surveys
available to organizations which receive grants under
paragraph (1).
(3) INFORMATION.—
(A) 
CONTENTS.—The 
information 
de-
scribed in paragraph (1) shall include at least
a comparison of such contracts and policies, in-
cluding a comparison of the benefits provided,
quality and performance, the costs to enrollees,
(5) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—To be eligible
for a grant under this section, an organization shall
prepare and submit to the Secretary an application
at such time, in such form, and containing such in-
formation as the Secretary may require. Grants
made under this section shall be in accordance with
terms and conditions specified by the Secretary.
(b) COST-SHARING.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Each organization which
provides a Medicare managed care contract or issues
a Medicare supplemental policy (including a Medi-
care select policy) shall pay to the Secretary its pro
rata share (as determined by the Secretary) of the
estimated costs to be incurred by the Secretary in
providing the grants described in subsection (a).
(2) LIMITATION.—The total amount required to
be paid under paragraph (1) shall not exceed
$35,000,000 in any fiscal year.
(3) APPLICATION OF PROCEEDS.—Amounts re-
ceived under paragraph (1) are hereby appropriated
to the Secretary to defray the costs described in
such paragraph and shall remain available until ex-
pended.
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1) MEDICARE
MANAGED
CARE
CONTRACT.—
The term ‘‘Medicare managed care contract’’ means
a 
contract 
under 
section 
1876 
or 
section
1833(a)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act.
(2) MEDICARE
SUPPLEMENTAL
POLICY.—The
term ‘‘Medicare supplemental policy’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 1882(g) of the Social
Security Act.
Æ