S.Amdt. 997

SA 997. Mr. REED submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 1, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make improvements in the medicare program, to provide prescription drug coverage under the medicare program, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 401, between lines 4 and 5, insert the following:

“(C) Education and outreach campaign.--

“(i) Program requirements.--

“(I) In general.--The Office of Beneficiary Assistance, in collaboration with the Administrator of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, shall conduct education and outreach programs that are designed to inform hard to reach populations, minority populations, and rural and frontier populations, about the medicare program, and particularly about the medicare fee-for-service program under parts A and B, and the prescription drug benefit established under part D and the plan options under that part, including the low-income subsidies provided under section 1860D-19.

“(II) Dissemination.--Programs conducted under clause (i) shall produce and disseminate information in major languages, and shall conduct other outreach activities, including mailings and low-income subsidy enrollment assistance, in coordination with other appropriate Federal and State agencies.

“(III) Sites.--Outreach and enrollment assistance activities shall be conducted under such programs at sites that provide, determine eligibility for, or enroll, low-income individuals under other Federal, State, or local assistance programs, including such sites operated under Federal, State, or local low-income housing, energy, nutrition, health, and social services programs.

“(IV) Costs.--The Administrator of the Center for Medicare Choices shall reimburse other Federal, State, and local agencies for the expenses such agencies incur that are attributable to providing coordination with the education and outreach programs conducted under this subparagraph. The Secretary shall determine the appropriate administrative expenses that are to be allocated between the Center for Medicare Choices and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as a result of the collaboration required under this clause.

“(ii) Model form.--

“(I) In general.--The Office of Beneficiary Assistance, in coordination and cooperation with the Administrator of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, shall devise a model application form for the premium and cost-sharing subsidies established under section 1860D-19 and shall make such form available for use by the States.

“(II) Requirements.--The model form devised under subclause (I) shall be as simple as possible, shall be designed so that the form is capable of being completed without a face-to-face interview and of being filed electronically, and shall apply for multiyear periods, with beneficiaries required to report any disqualifying increases in income or assets to the Administrator of the Center for Medicare Choices.