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(A) Upon the request of the Commission,
the Director of the Congressional Budget Office
shall provide to the Commission such cost esti-
mates as the Commission determines to be nec-
essary to carry out its duties.
(B) The Commission shall reimburse the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office for
expenses relating to the employment in the of-
fice of the Director of such additional staff as
may be necessary for the Director to comply
with requests by the Commission under sub-
paragraph (A).
(4) DETAIL OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—Upon
the request of the Commission, the head of any Fed-
eral agency is authorized to detail, without reim-
bursement, any of the personnel of such agency to
the Commission to assist the Commission in carry-
ing out its duties. Any such detail shall not interrupt
or otherwise affect the civil service status or privi-
leges of the Federal employee.
(5) TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE.—Upon the re-
quest of the Commission, the head of a Federal
agency shall provide such technical assistance to the
Commission as the Commission determines to be
necessary to carry out its duties.
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(6) USE OF MAILS.—The Commission may use
the United States mails in the same manner and
under the same conditions as Federal agencies and
shall, for purposes of the frank, be considered a
commission of Congress as described in section 3215
of title 39, United States Code.
(7) OBTAINING
INFORMATION.—The Commis-
sion may secure directly from any Federal agency
information necessary to enable it to carry out its
duties, if the information may be disclosed under
section 552 of title 5, United States Code. Upon re-
quest of the Chairman of the Commission, the head
of such agency shall furnish such information to the
Commission.
(8) ADMINISTRATIVE
SUPPORT
SERVICES.—
Upon the request of the Commission, the Adminis-
trator of General Services shall provide to the Com-
mission on a reimbursable basis such administrative
support services as the Commission may request.
(9) ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS.—The Com-
mission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or do-
nations of services or property.
(10) PRINTING.—For purposes of costs relating
to printing and binding, including the cost of per-
sonnel detailed from the Government Printing Of-
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fice, the Commission shall be deemed to be a com-
mittee of the Congress.
(f) REPORT.—Not later than May 1, 1997, the Com-
mission shall submit to Congress a report containing its
findings and recommendations regarding how to protect
and preserve the medicare program in a financially solvent
manner until 2030 (or, if later, throughout the period of
projected solvency of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors
Insurance Trust Fund). The report shall include detailed
recommendations for appropriate legislative initiatives re-
specting how to accomplish this objective.
(g) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate
60 days after the date of submission of the report required
in subsection (f).
(h) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000 to carry out
this section. Amounts appropriated to carry out this sec-
tion shall remain available until expended.
SEC. 15033. CHANGE IN APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATOR
OF HCFA.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1117 (42 U.S.C. 1317)
is amended by striking ‘‘President by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary of
Health and Human Services’’.
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(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act and shall apply to Administrators ap-
pointed on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
PART 5—TREATMENT OF HOSPITALS WHICH PAR-
TICIPATE IN PROVIDER-SPONSORED ORGA-
NIZATIONS
SEC. 15041. TREATMENT OF HOSPITALS WHICH PARTICI-
PATE IN PROVIDER-SPONSORED ORGANIZA-
TIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 501 of the Internal Reve-
nue Code of 1986 (relating to exemption from tax on cor-
porations, certain trusts, etc.) is amended by redesignat-
ing subsection (n) as subsection (o) and by inserting after
subsection (m) the following new subsection:
‘‘(n) TREATMENT OF HOSPITALS PARTICIPATING IN
PROVIDER-SPONSORED ORGANIZATIONS.—An organiza-
tion shall not fail to be treated as organized and operated
exclusively for a charitable purpose for purposes of sub-
section (c)(3) solely because a hospital which is owned and
operated by such organization participates in a provider-
sponsored organization (as defined in section 1854(a)(1)
of the Social Security Act), whether or not the provider-
sponsored organization is exempt from tax. For purposes
of subsection (c)(3), any person with a material financial
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interest in such a provider-sponsored organization shall be
treated as a private shareholder or individual with respect
to the hospital.’’
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act.
Subtitle B—Preventing Fraud and
Abuse
PART 1—GENERAL PROVISIONS
SEC. 15101. INCREASING AWARENESS OF FRAUD AND
ABUSE.
(a) BENEFICIARY OUTREACH EFFORTS.—The Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services (acting through the
Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administra-
tion and the Inspector General of the Department of
Health and Human Services) shall make ongoing efforts
(through public service announcements, publications, and
other appropriate methods) to alert individuals entitled to
benefits under the medicare program of the existence of
fraud and abuse committed against the program and the
costs to the program of such fraud and abuse, and of the
existence of the toll-free telephone line operated by the
Secretary to receive information on fraud and abuse com-
mitted against the program.