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CCH® PENSION — 1/31/07

Legislators Propose More Benefits-Related Bills

from Spencer’s Benefits Reports: Between January 9 and January 19, federal legislators introduced the benefits-related bills listed below.

On January 12, the House passed H.R. 4, to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower covered Medicare Part D drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries. Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine) has introduced similar legislation in the Senate.

Also in the Senate, Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.) introduced a health care reform measure that he had announced late last year.

Additionally, Sens. Jeff Bingaman (N.M.) and George Voinovich (Ohio) introduced S. 325, the Health Partnership Act, which would authorize grants to individual states, groups of states, or portions of states to carry out any of a broad range of strategies to increase health care coverage. States desiring to participate in a health care expansion and improvement program would submit an application to a bipartisan “State Health Innovation Commission.” At the end of a five-year period, the commission would be required to report to Congress whether the states are meeting the goals of the act and recommend future action that Congress should take regarding overall health care reform. Reps. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Tom Price (Ga.), and John Tierney (Mass.) have introduced similar legislation in the House as H.R. 506.

House Bills

• H.R.324: To increase the minimum wage, to provide access to health care coverage to employees of small businesses, and to preserve American jobs. Sponsor: Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (Cal.). Cosponsors (25). Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor and the Committee on Ways and Means.
• H.R.332: To amend Title II of the Social Security Act to provide that wages earned, and self-employment income derived, by individuals while such individuals were not citizens or nationals of the United States and were illegally in the United States will not be credited for coverage under the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance program under such title. Sponsor: John R. Carter (Texas). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
• H.R.340: To amend Title II of the Social Security Act to allow remarried widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses to become or remain entitled to widow’s or widower’s insurance benefits if the prior marriage was for at least ten years. Sponsor: John J. Duncan, Jr. (Tenn.). Cosponsors (None) Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
• H.R.341: To amend Title II of the Social Security Act to provide for payment of lump sum death payments upon the death of a spouse. Sponsor: John J..Duncan Jr. (Tenn.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
• H.R.343: To amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable credit to military retirees for premiums paid for coverage under Medicare Part B. Sponsor: Jo Ann Emerson (Mo.). Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
• H.R.348: To amend Title 5 of the United States Code to provide that a member of Congress convicted of any of certain felony offenses will not be eligible for retirement benefits based on that individual’s service, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Walter B. Jones Jr. (N.C.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the Committee on House Administration and to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
• H.R.368: To amend Title II of the Social Security Act to allow workers who attain age 65 after 1981 and before 1992 to choose either lump sum payments over four years totaling $5,000 or an improved benefit computation formula under a new ten-year rule governing the transition to the changes in benefit computation rules enacted in the Social Security Amendments of 1977, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Ralph M. Hall (Texas). Cosponsors (8). Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
• H.R.377: To amend the Internal Revenue Codeto increase the dollar limitation on employer-provided group term life insurance that can be excluded from the gross income of the employee. Sponsor: Michael C. Burgess (Texas). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
• H.R.396: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the required beginning date for distributions from individual retirement plans and for distributions of elective deferrals under qualified cash or deferred arrangements. Sponsor: Jim Saxton (N.J.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
• H.R.410: To amend the Public Health Service Act to increase the number of primary care physicians serving health professional shortage areas, and for other purposes. Sponsor: John Conyers Jr. (Mich.). Cosponsors (26). Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
• H.R.418: To amend the Internal Revenue Code to permit military death gratuities to be contributed to certain tax-favored accounts. Sponsor: Walter B Jones Jr. (N.C.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
• H.R.466: To amend Title 5 of the United States Code to deny federal retirement benefits to individuals convicted of certain offenses, and for other purposes. Sponsor: John B. Shadegg (Ariz.). Cosponsors (7). Referred to the Committee on House Administration and to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
• H.R.470: To amend Titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for continuity of Medicare prescription drug coverage for full-benefit dual-eligible individuals, for Medicare prescription drug coverage of benzodiazepines and off-label uses of certain prescription drugs and biological products, for optional Medicaid coverage of Medicare prescription drug cost-sharing for full-benefit dual-eligible individuals, and for authorization to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive certain determinations denying Medicare prescription drug coverage. Sponsor: Heather Wilson (N.M.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and to the Committee on Ways and Means.
• H.R.476: To amend Title 5 of the United States Code to make noncreditable for federal retirement purposes any member service performed by an individual who is convicted of any of certain offenses committed by that individual while serving as a member of Congress, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Nancy E. Boyda (Kan.). Cosponsors (49). Referred to the Committee on House Administration and to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
• H.R.493: To prohibit discrimination on the basis of genetic information with respect to health insurance and employment. Sponsor: Louise McIntosh Slaughter (N.Y.). Cosponsors (151). Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor and to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means.
• H.R.506: To provide for innovation in health care through State initiatives that expand coverage and access. Sponsor: Tammy Baldwin (Wis.). Cosponsors (28). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Rules.
• H.R.536: To amend Chapter 89 of Title 5 of the United States Code and the ERISA, and the Public Health Service Act to require coverage of hearing aids under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and private group and individual insurance. Sponsor: Stephen F. Lynch (Mass.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Education and Labor.
• H.R.552: To amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for cardiac rehabilitation and pulmonary rehabilitation services. Sponsor: John Lewis (Ga.). Cosponsors (1). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and to the Committee on Ways and Means.
• H.R.593: To amend Title XXI of the Social Security Act to provide grants to promote innovative outreach and enrollment under the Medicaid and State children’s Health Insurance Programs, and for other purposes. Sponsor: David G. Reichert (Wash.). Cosponsors (1). Referred the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Senate Bills

• S.243: A bill to improve patient access to health care services and provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places on the health care delivery system. Sponsor: John Ensign (Nev.). Cosponsors (14). Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
• S.244: A bill to improve women’s access to health care services and provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places on the delivery of obstetrical and gynecological services. Sponsor: Judd Gregg (N.H.). Cosponsors (11). Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
• S.250: A bill to reduce the costs of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries and to guarantee access to comprehensive prescription drug coverage under Part D of the Medicare program, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Olympia Snowe (Maine). Cosponsors (1). Referred to the Committee on Finance.
• S.251: A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the importation of prescription drugs, and for other purposes. Sponsor: David Vitter (La.). Cosponsors (1). Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
• S.273: A bill to amend Part D of Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate for lower prices for Medicare prescription drugs. Sponsor: Arlen Specter (Pa.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the Committee on Finance.
• S.325: A bill to provide for innovation in health care through state initiatives that expand coverage and access and improve quality and efficiency in the health care system. Sponsor: Jeff Bingaman (N.M.). Cosponsors (1). Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
• S.326 : A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code to provide a special period of limitation when uniformed services retirement pay is reduced as a result of an award of disability compensation. Sponsor: Blanche L.Lincoln (Ark.). Cosponsors (11). Referred to the Committee on Finance.
• S.334: A bill to provide affordable, guaranteed private health care coverage that will make Americans healthier and can never be taken away. Sponsor: Ron Wyden (Ore.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the Committee on Finance.

For more information on this and related topics, consult the CCH Pension Plan Guide, CCH Employee Benefits Management, and Spencer's Benefits Reports.

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