S.Amdt. 1130
What it does: Adds SEC. __. STUDY ON TRENDS IN EMPLOYMENT-BASED RETIREE HEALTH COVERAGE at the appropriate place in title II
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)What it changes
1 change to S. 1
Adds SEC. __. STUDY ON TRENDS IN EMPLOYMENT-BASED RETIREE HEALTH COVERAGE at the appropriate place in title II
Adds a sectionInserted: SEC. __. STUDY ON TRENDS IN EMPLOYMENT-BASED RETIREE HEALTH COVERAGE.
Inserted: (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States, in consultation with employers, health benefit experts, academia, human resource professionals, State and local government officials, and employer consulting firms, shall conduct a study to determine the effect of the amendments made by this Act on the provision of employment-based retiree health coverage (as such term is defined in section 1860D-20(e)(4)(B) of the Social Security Act). Such study shall examine the following:
Inserted: (1) Trends in employment-based retiree health coverage, as such trends relate to retirees who are eligible for coverage under the medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.).
Inserted: (2) The extent to which health care coverage, including coverage under Medicare+Choice, MedicareAdvantage, and fee-for-service prescription drug plans under the medicare program, are available to retirees who are eligible for coverage under the medicare program.
Inserted: (3) The extent to which geographic location plays a role in the structure and availability of retiree health benefit coverage.
Inserted: (4) Whether incentives built into this Act (and the amendments made by this Act) are sufficient to induce employers to maintain employment-based retiree health coverage, and whether other voluntary incentives exist to encourage employers to maintain such coverage.
Inserted: (5) Whether obstacles exist to employers providing employment-based retiree health coverage, including administrative burden, the cost of prescription drugs, and the increasing overall health care costs.
Inserted: (6) Whether--
Inserted: (A) employment-based retiree health coverage has changed because of the implementation of the MedicareAdvantage and medicare fee-for-service programs under the amendments made by this Act;
Inserted: (B) such coverage continues to maintain the employment-based retiree health benefit packages that were available prior to the implementation of such programs;
Inserted: (C) employers conduct health fairs or provide other educational opportunities for their retirees to encourage retirees to obtain coverage under MedicareAdvantage or other prescription drug plans that are available; and
Inserted: (D) employers offer retirees financial incentive to obtain coverage under MedicareAdvantage or other prescription drug plans, including premium subsidies.
Show 6 more inserted paragraphsShow less
Inserted: (7) Whether the availability of MedicareAdvantage and medicare fee-for-service prescription drug coverage acts as an incentive to employers that did not previously offer employment-based retiree health coverage to offer such coverage to retirees.
Inserted: (8) Whether other tools are used by employers to help future employees afford health benefits and prescription drug coverage once such employees reach retirement age.
Inserted: (b) Information.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall determine the effect of the amendments made by this Act on the provision of employment-based retiree health coverage using information available for the period--
Inserted: (1) beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on January 1, 2005; and
Inserted: (2) beginning on January 1, 2006 and ending on January 1, 2007.
Inserted: (c) Report.--Not later than July 1, 2007, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Secretary and the appropriate committees of Congress a report based on the study conducted under subsection (a).
The amendment doesn't say where this goes; the clerk decides.
Original wording
At the appropriate place in title II, insert the following:
Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.
As printed
SA 1130. Mr. ROBERTS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill to S. 1, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a voluntary prescription drug benefit under the Medicare program and to strengthen and improve the Medicare program, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table, as follows:
At the appropriate place in title II, insert the following:
SEC. __. STUDY ON TRENDS IN EMPLOYMENT-BASED RETIREE HEALTH COVERAGE.
(a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States, in consultation with employers, health benefit experts, academia, human resource professionals, State and local government officials, and employer consulting firms, shall conduct a study to determine the effect of the amendments made by this Act on the provision of employment-based retiree health coverage (as such term is defined in section 1860D-20(e)(4)(B) of the Social Security Act). Such study shall examine the following:
(1) Trends in employment-based retiree health coverage, as such trends relate to retirees who are eligible for coverage under the medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.).
(2) The extent to which health care coverage, including coverage under Medicare+Choice, MedicareAdvantage, and fee-for-service prescription drug plans under the medicare program, are available to retirees who are eligible for coverage under the medicare program.
(3) The extent to which geographic location plays a role in the structure and availability of retiree health benefit coverage.
(4) Whether incentives built into this Act (and the amendments made by this Act) are sufficient to induce employers to maintain employment-based retiree health coverage, and whether other voluntary incentives exist to encourage employers to maintain such coverage.
(5) Whether obstacles exist to employers providing employment-based retiree health coverage, including administrative burden, the cost of prescription drugs, and the increasing overall health care costs.
(6) Whether--
(A) employment-based retiree health coverage has changed because of the implementation of the MedicareAdvantage and medicare fee-for-service programs under the amendments made by this Act;
(B) such coverage continues to maintain the employment-based retiree health benefit packages that were available prior to the implementation of such programs;
(C) employers conduct health fairs or provide other educational opportunities for their retirees to encourage retirees to obtain coverage under MedicareAdvantage or other prescription drug plans that are available; and
(D) employers offer retirees financial incentive to obtain coverage under MedicareAdvantage or other prescription drug plans, including premium subsidies.
(7) Whether the availability of MedicareAdvantage and medicare fee-for-service prescription drug coverage acts as an incentive to employers that did not previously offer employment-based retiree health coverage to offer such coverage to retirees.
(8) Whether other tools are used by employers to help future employees afford health benefits and prescription drug coverage once such employees reach retirement age.
(b) Information.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall determine the effect of the amendments made by this Act on the provision of employment-based retiree health coverage using information available for the period--
(1) beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on January 1, 2005; and
(2) beginning on January 1, 2006 and ending on January 1, 2007.
(c) Report.--Not later than July 1, 2007, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Secretary and the appropriate committees of Congress a report based on the study conducted under subsection (a).
Legislative Activity
Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action
Senate amendment submitted
June 26, 2003