110th CONGRESS
1st Session

H. R. 1282

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for guaranteed issue of Medicare supplemental policies for disabled and renal disease beneficiaries upon first enrolling under part B of the Medicare Program.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 1, 2007

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. RUSH) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for guaranteed issue of Medicare supplemental policies for disabled and renal disease beneficiaries upon first enrolling under part B of the Medicare Program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the `Medigap Access Improvement Act of 2007'.

SEC. 2. EXTENDING GUARANTEED ISSUE OF MEDIGAP POLICIES TO ALL MEDICARE ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.

    (a) In General- Section 1882(s) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ss(s)) is amended--

      (1) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting before the period at the end the following: `and, in the case of an individual who is under 65 years of age and who is enrolled for benefits under part B, during the 6 month period beginning with the first month as of the first day on which the individual is so enrolled';

      (2) in paragraph (2)(D), by striking `the 6-month period described in subparagraph (A) to an individual who is 65 years of age or older as of the date of issuance and' and inserting `a 6-month period described in subparagraph (A) to an individual'; and

      (3) in paragraph (3)(B)(vi), by striking `at age 65'.

    (b) Effective Date-

      (1) IN GENERAL- The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect as of the date of the enactment of this Act .

      (2) TRANSITION FOR CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE MEDICARE INDIVIDUALS-

        (A) IN GENERAL- No medicare supplemental policy of an issuer shall be deemed to meet the standards in subsection (c) of section 1882 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ss) unless the issuer permits each individual described in subparagraph (B), during the 6-month period beginning on the first day of the first month beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act, to be enrolled under a medicare supplemental policy in accordance with subsection (s) of such section, as amended by subsection (a), applied as if the individual were first enrolled under part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act as of the first day of such first month.

        (B) NONENROLLED CURRENT DISABLED AND RENAL DISEASE BENEFICIARIES DESCRIBED- For purposes of subparagraph (A), an individual described in this subparagraph is an individual who, as of the first day of the first month beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act--

          (i) is under 65 years of age;

          (ii) is enrolled under part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act; and

          (iii) is not enrolled in a medicare supplemental policy.

END