Commission to Save Medicare Act of 1995

of Approval.--A joint resolution described in 
this paragraph means only a joint resolution which is introduced within 
the 10-day period beginning on the date on which the Commission submits 
recommendations under section 102(c) and--
            (1) which does not have a preamble;
            (2) the matter after the resolving clause of which is as 
        follows: ``That Congress approves the recommendations of the 
        Independent Commission on Medicare concerning methods to 
        control outlays under the medicare program for fiscal year 
        ________, as submitted by the Commission on ______________.'', 
        the first blank space being filled in with the appropriate 
        fiscal year and the second
         blank space being filled in with the appropriate date; and
            (3) the title of which is as follows: ``Joint resolution 
        approving recommendations of the Independent Commission on 
        Medicare concerning methods to control outlays under the 
        medicare program for fiscal year ________, as submitted by the 
        Commission on ______________.'', the first blank space being 
        filled in with the appropriate fiscal year and the second blank 
        space being filled in with the appropriate date.
    (c) Procedures for Consideration of Resolution of Approval.--
Subject to subsection (d), the provisions of section 2908 (other than 
subsection (a)) of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 
shall apply to the consideration of a joint resolution described in 
subsection (b) in the same manner as such provisions apply to a joint 
resolution described in section 2908(a) of such Act.
    (d) Special Rules.--For purposes of applying subsection (c) with 
respect to such provisions--
            (1) any reference to the Committee on Armed Services of the 
        House of Representatives shall be deemed a reference to an 
        appropriate committee of the House of Representatives 
        (specified by the Speaker of the House of Representatives at 
        the time of submission of recommendations under subsection (c)) 
        and any reference to the Committee on Armed Services of the 
        Senate shall be deemed a reference to an appropriate committee 
        of the Senate (specified by the majority leader of the Senate 
        at the time of submission of recommendations by the Commission 
        under section 102(c)); and
            (2) any reference to the date on which the President 
        transmits a report shall be deemed a reference to the date on 
        which the Commission submits recommendations under section 
        102(c).

SEC. 104. NO TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.

    Section 14(a)(2)(B) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 
App.; relating to the termination of advisory committees) shall not 
apply to the Commission.

          TITLE II--CONTROLLING OUTLAYS UNDER MEDICARE PROGRAM

SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF ANNUAL LIMITS ON OUTLAYS.

    Not later than April 15 of each year (beginning with 1996), 
Congress shall in the concurrent resolution on the budget for the 
fiscal year beginning on the following October 1 establish a limit on 
total outlays to be made under the medicare program for the fiscal 
year.

SEC. 202. ENFORCEMENT OF LIMITS THROUGH SEQUESTRATION.

    (a) In General.--Part C of the Balanced Budget and Emergency 
Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900 et seq.) is amended by 
inserting after section 252 the following new section:

``SEC. 252A. SEQUESTRATION WITH RESPECT TO MEDICARE.

    ``(a) Sequestration.--If, with respect to a fiscal year (beginning 
with fiscal year 1997), Congress has not enacted a joint resolution 
under section 103(b) of the Commission to Save Medicare Act of 1995 
before the first day of the fiscal year, there shall be a sequestration 
to eliminate any budgetary excess in the medicare program as described 
in subsection (b).
    ``(b) Eliminating a Budgetary Excess.--
            ``(1) In general.--Outlays under the medicare program shall 
        be reduced during a fiscal year as provided by paragraph (2), 
        as necessary to eliminate any amount by which estimated outlays 
        under the program in the year exceed the limit for such outlays 
        established for the year by Congress pursuant to section 201 of 
        the Commission to Save Medicare Act of 1995.
            ``(2) Reductions described.--In carrying out paragraph (1), 
        the President shall--
                    ``(A) reduce payments made under the medicare 
                program by a uniform percentage sufficient to reduce 50 
                percent of the amount described in paragraph (1); and
                    ``(B) increase premiums, deductibles, copayments, 
                and coinsurance required to be paid under the program 
                by a uniform percentage sufficient to reduce 50 percent 
                of the amount described in paragraph (1).
    ``(c) Part-Year Appropriations and OMB Estimates.--Paragraphs (4) 
and (7) of section 251(a) shall apply to sequestration of amounts under 
this section in the same manner as those paragraphs apply to 
discretionary appropriations and sequestrations under that section.
    ``(d) Coordination With Other Sequestration.--
            ``(1) In general.--Reductions under subsection (b) for a 
        fiscal year shall supersede any reduction otherwise made under 
        section 252 or 253.
            ``(2) Reports.--On the dates specified in section 254(a), 
        OMB and CBO shall issue preview, update, and final reports on 
        medicare sequestration under this section. Such reports shall 
        specify--
                    ``(A) the estimated amount described in subsection 
                (b)(1) for the fiscal year;
                    ``(B) the estimated uniform percentage described in 
                subsection (b)(2)(A) of the fiscal year; and
                    ``(C) the estimated uniform percentage described in 
                subsection (b)(2)(B) of the fiscal year.
            ``(3) Rules for application of reductions.--The provisions 
        of section 256(d) shall apply to reductions under this 
        section.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for part C of the 
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 252 
the following:

        ``Sec. 252A. Sequestration with respect to medicare.''.

Summary: TABLE OF CONTENTS: 
     Title I:  Independent Commission on Medicare 
     Title II:  Controlling Outlays Under Medicare Program 
Commission to Save Medicare Act of 1995 - 
Title I:  Independent Commission on Medicare
 - Establishes the Independent Commission on Medicare to:  (1) report to the Congress and the President during December of each year on certain aspects of the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act involving projected outlays and benefits; and (2) report to the Congress during July of each year specific recommendations on certain changes to ensure that total program outlays for the fiscal year involved do not exceed specified limits.  Precludes such recommendations from including changes relating to the payment of payroll taxes for financing the program. 
Provides procedures for expedited congressional consideration of recommendations. 
Title II:  Controlling Outlays Under Medicare Program
 - Provides that Congress, not later than April 15 of each year, shall, in the concurrent resolution on the budget for the following fiscal year, establish a limit on total outlays to be made under the Medicare program for the fiscal year involved. 
Provides for the enforcement of such limits through sequestration under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act).