I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1418 
To amend part B of the title XVIII of the Social Security Act to apply 
deemed enrollment to residents of Puerto Rico and to provide a special 
enrollment period and a reduction in the late enrollment penalties for 
certain residents of Puerto Rico. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 18, 2015 
Mr. PIERLUISI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and 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 part B of the title XVIII of the Social Security 
Act to apply deemed enrollment to residents of Puerto 
Rico and to provide a special enrollment period and 
a reduction in the late enrollment penalties for certain 
residents of Puerto Rico. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Puerto Rico Medicare 
Part B Equity Act of 2015’’. 
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SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF PART B DEEMED ENROLLMENT 
PROCESS TO RESIDENTS OF PUERTO RICO; 
SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD AND LIMIT 
ON LATE ENROLLMENT PENALTIES. 
(a) APPLICATION OF PART B DEEMED ENROLLMENT 
PROCESS
TO RESIDENTS
OF PUERTO RICO.—Section 
1837(f)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395p(f)(3)) is amended by striking ‘‘, exclusive of Puerto 
Rico’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to individuals whose initial en-
rollment period under section 1837(d) of the Social Secu-
rity Act begins on or after the first day of the effective 
month, specified by the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services under section 1839(j)(1)(C) of such Act, as added 
by subsection (c)(2). 
(c) TRANSITION PROVIDING SPECIAL ENROLLMENT 
PERIOD AND LIMIT ON LATE ENROLLMENT PENALTIES 
FOR CERTAIN MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES.—Section 1839 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395r) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in the first sentence of subsection (b), by in-
serting ‘‘subject to section 1839(j)(2),’’ after ‘‘sub-
section (i)(4) or (l) of section 1837,’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
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‘‘(j) SPECIAL RULES FOR CERTAIN RESIDENTS OF 
PUERTO RICO.— 
‘‘(1) SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD, COVERAGE 
PERIOD FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE BUT 
NOT ENROLLED.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a tran-
sition individual (as defined in paragraph (3)) 
who is not enrolled under this part as of the 
day before the first day of the effective month 
(as defined in subparagraph (C)), the Secretary 
shall provide for a special enrollment period 
under section 1837 of 7 months beginning with 
such effective month during which the indi-
vidual may be enrolled under this part. 
‘‘(B) COVERAGE PERIOD.—In the case of 
such an individual who enrolls during such spe-
cial enrollment period, the coverage period 
under section 1838 shall begin on the first day 
of the second month after the month in which 
the individual enrolls. 
‘‘(C) EFFECTIVE
MONTH
DEFINED.—In 
this section, the term ‘effective month’ means a 
month, not earlier than October 2016 and not 
later than January 2017, specified by the Sec-
retary. 
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‘‘(2) REDUCTION IN LATE ENROLLMENT PEN-
ALTIES
FOR
CURRENT
ENROLLEES
AND
INDIVID-
UALS ENROLLING DURING TRANSITION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a tran-
sition individual who is enrolled under this part 
as of the day before the first day of the effec-
tive month or who enrolls under this part on or 
after the date of the enactment of this sub-
section but before the end of the special enroll-
ment period under paragraph (1)(A), the 
amount of the late enrollment penalty imposed 
under section 1839(b) shall be recalculated by 
reducing the penalty to 15 percent of the pen-
alty otherwise established. 
‘‘(B) APPLICATION.—Subparagraph (A) 
shall be applied in the case of a transition indi-
vidual who— 
‘‘(i) is enrolled under this part as of 
the month before the effective month, for 
premiums for months beginning with such 
effective month; or 
‘‘(ii) enrolls under this part on or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and before the end of the special enroll-
ment period under paragraph (1)(A), for 
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premiums for months during the coverage 
period under this part which occur during 
or after the effective month. 
‘‘(C) LOSS OF REDUCTION IF INDIVIDUAL 
TERMINATES
ENROLLMENT.—Subparagraph 
(A) shall not apply to a transition individual if 
the individual terminates enrollment under this 
part after the end of the special enrollment pe-
riod under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(3) TRANSITION
INDIVIDUAL
DEFINED.—In 
this section, the term ‘transition individual’ means 
an individual who resides in Puerto Rico and who 
would have been deemed enrolled under this part 
pursuant to section 1837(f) before the first day of 
the effective month but for the fact that the indi-
vidual was a resident of Puerto Rico, regardless of 
whether the individual is enrolled under this part as 
of such first day.’’. 
Æ 
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