I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 598
To provide for certain military retirees and dependents a special Medicare
part B enrollment period during which the late enrollment penalty is
waived and a special medigap open enrollment period during which no
underwriting is permitted.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 5, 1997
Mr. ENSIGN (for himself and Mr. SCARBOROUGH) 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 provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To provide for certain military retirees and dependents a
special Medicare part B enrollment period during which
the late enrollment penalty is waived and a special
medigap open enrollment period during which no under-
writing is permitted.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. MEDICARE PART B SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PE-
RIOD AND WAIVER OF PART B LATE ENROLL-
MENT 
PENALTY 
AND 
MEDIGAP 
SPECIAL
OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR CERTAIN
MILITARY RETIREES AND DEPENDENTS.
(a) MEDICARE PART B SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PE-
RIOD; WAIVER OF PART B PENALTY FOR LATE ENROLL-
MENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of any eligible
individual (as defined in subsection (c)), the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services shall provide
for a special enrollment period during which the in-
dividual may enroll under part B of title XVIII of
the Social Security Act. Such period shall be for a
period of 6 months and shall begin with the first
month that begins at least 45 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
(2) COVERAGE PERIOD.—In the case of an eli-
gible individual who enrolls during the special enroll-
ment period provided under paragraph (1), the cov-
erage period under part B of title XVIII of the So-
cial Security Act shall begin on the first day of the
month following the month in which the individual
enrolls.
(3) WAIVER
OF
PART
B
LATE
ENROLLMENT
PENALTY.—In the case of an eligible individual who
enrolls during the special enrollment period provided
under paragraph (1), there shall be no increase pur-
suant to section 1839(b) of the Social Security Act
in the monthly premium under part B of title XVIII
of such Act.
(b) MEDIGAP SPECIAL OPEN ENROLLMENT PE-
RIOD.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an is-
suer of a medicare supplemental policy (as defined in sec-
tion 1882(g) of the Social Security Act)—
(1) may not deny or condition the issuance or
effectiveness of a medicare supplemental policy; and
(2) may not discriminate in the pricing of the
policy on the basis of the individual’s health status,
medical condition (including both physical and men-
tal illnesses), claims experience, receipt of health
care, medical history, genetic information, evidence
of insurability (including conditions arising out of
acts of domestic violence), or disability;
in the case of an eligible individual who seeks to enroll
during the 6-month period described in subsection (a)(1).
(c) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘eligible individual’’ means an individual—
(1) who, as of the date of the enactment of this
Act, has attained 65 years of age and was eligible
to enroll under part B of title XVIII of the Social
Security Act, and
(2) who at the time the individual first satisfied
paragraph (1) or (2) of section 1836 of the Social
Security Act—
(A) was a covered beneficiary (as defined
in section 1072(5) of title 10, United States
Code), and
(B) did not elect to enroll (or to be deemed
enrolled) under section 1837 of the Social Secu-
rity Act during the individual’s initial enroll-
ment period.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall con-
sult with the Secretary of Defense in the identification of
eligible individuals.
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