,i #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bege ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,may #ai1 #bjag,mr4 ,ruiz 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,meehan1 ,mr4 ,kelly of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4 ,pascrell1 and ,ms4 ,del,bene7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 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 establish a system to educate individuals approaching ,medicare eligibility1 to simplify and modernize the eligibility enrollment process1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,beneficiary ,enrollment ,notification and ,eligibility ,simplification ,act of #bjag or the ,,benes ,act of #bjag4 #b4 ,eligibility and enrollment notification 7a7 ,notification ,requirements ,section #ahjd of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie;b-#b7 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7d7 ,eligibility ,information 7#a7 ,coordination of notice ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with representatives of each of the groups described in paragraph 7#b77;,a71 and in coordination with the ,commissioner of ,social ,security and the ,secretary of the ,treasury1 shall prepare and distribute a notice1 in accordance with this subsection1 to potentially eligible ,medicare individuals4 7#b7 ,groups for consultation 7,a7 ,in general ,for purposes of paragraph 7#a71 the groups described in this subparagraph include the following3 7i7 ,individuals who are more than #fj years of age4 7ii7 ,individuals with disabilities4 7iii7 ,individuals with end stage renal disease4 7iv7 ,low-income individuals and families4 7v7 ,employers 7including human resources professionals74 7vi7 ,states 7including representatives of ,state-run ,health ,insurance ,exchanges1 ,medicaid offices1 and ,departments of ,insurance74 7vii7 ,state ,health ,insurance ,assistance ,programs4 7viii7 ,health insurers4 7ix7 ,health insurance agents and brokers4 7x7 ,such other groups as specified by the ,secretary4 7,b7 ,nonapplication of ,,faca ,the ,federal ,advisory ,committee ,act shall not apply to consultations made pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 with groups described in subparagraph 7,a74 7#c7 ,contents of ,notice ,the notice required under paragraph 7#a7 shall contain information on 7including a clear1 simple explanation of7-- 7,a7 7i7 eligibility for benefits under this title1 and in particular benefits under part ,b2 7ii7 the possibility of a late enrollment penalty for failure to timely enroll 7including the availability of equitable relief72 and 7iii7 how to access the ,webpage described in paragraph 7#e72 and 7,b7 the need for coordination of benefits under part ,b 7including secondary and primary coverage scenarios7 imposed under this title1 including the effects of enrollment in retiree health coverage2 group health coverage2 coverage under a group health plan provided by an employer pursuant to title ,,xxii of the ,public ,health ,service ,act1 section #dihj;,b of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf1 or title ,,vi of the ,employee ,retirement ,income ,security ,act of #aigd2 coverage under a qualified health plan offered through an ,exchange established under title ,i of the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act2 and other widely available coverage which may be available to potentially eligible ,medicare individuals4 7#d7 ,timing of notice to potential enrollees ,beginning one year after the date of the enactment of this subsection1 a notice required under paragraph 7#a7 shall be mailed to each potentially eligible ,medicare individual no less than two times in accordance with the following3 7,a7 ,the notice shall be provided to such individual on the same schedule and in combination with the individual's social security statement4 7,b7 ,in the case that the individual does not receive a social security statement1 such notice shall be mailed no later than #c months prior to the date of such individual's initial enrollment period as provided under section #ahcg and shall subsequently be provided to such individual no later than one month prior to such date4 7#e7 ,creation of a centralized enrollment webpage ,the information contained in notices required under this subsection shall be made available through a new ,webpage to be maintained by the ,secretary4 ,such ,webpage shall include both ,social ,security and ,medicare online tools in a coordinated and organized manner1 and shall also contain1 or link to1 such other eligibility tools1 services1 notices 7including with respect to the availability of equitable relief71 and other information as determined by the ,secretary1 in consultation with groups described in paragraph 7#b7 for the purposes of being available to potentially eligible ,medicare individuals4 7#f7 ,interagency coordination ,beginning not later than #b months after the date of the enactment of this subsection1 the ,secretary1 along with the ,secretary of the ,treasury and the ,commissioner of the ,social ,security ,administration1 shall undertake all necessary action and coordination to identify potentially eligible individuals and in order to provide such individuals with notifications under this subsection in accordance with paragraph 7#d74 7#g7 ,notification improvement ,the ,secretary shall1 no less than once every fiscal year1 review the content of the notices required under this subsection and the practices of providing such notices to individuals1 and shall update and revise such notices and practices as the ,secretary deems appropriate4 7#h7 ,potentially eligible ,medicare individual defined ,for purposes of this subsection1 the term potentially eligible ,medicare individual means an individual1 with respect to a month1 who is expected to satisfy the description in paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b7 of section #ahcf during such month or during any of the subsequent #aa months4 4 7b7 ,disclosure authority ,section #fajc7l7 of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph3 7#bc7 ,disclosure of return information to carry out eligibility notification requirements for certain programs 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary1 upon request from the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 shall disclose to officers1 employees1 and contractors of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services and the ,social ,security ,administration return information of any taxpayer who is a potentially eligible ,medicare individual 7as defined in section #ahjd7;d77#h7 of the ,social ,security ,act74 ,such return information shall be limited to-- 7i7 taxpayer identity information with respect to such taxpayer1 including the age and address or other location of such taxpayer2 7ii7 the filing status of such taxpayer2 7iii7 such other information as is prescribed by the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services by regulation as might indicate whether the taxpayer is eligible for coverage under such title2 and 7iv7 the taxable year with respect to which the preceding information relates or1 if applicable1 the fact that such information is not available4 7,b7 ,restriction on use of disclosed information ,return information disclosed under subparagraph 7,a7 may be used by officers1 employees1 and contractors of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services or the ,social ,security ,administration only for the purposes of1 and to the extent necessary in1 establishing potential eligibility for benefits under title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act4 4 7c7 ,computer ,matching ,agreement ,not later than #f months after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 the ,secretary of the ,treasury1 and the ,commissioner of ,social ,security shall enter into a computer matching agreement pursuant to section #eeb;a7o7 of title #e of the ,united ,states ,code for the purposes of implementing section #ahjd7;d7 of the ,social ,security ,act1 as added by subsection 7a71 and section #fajc7l77#bc7 of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf1 as added by subsection 7b74 7d7 ,report to congress ,not later than #d years after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 the ,secretary of the ,treasury1 and the ,commissioner of ,social ,security shall submit to ,congress a report on the process taken by the relevant agencies in implementing the notice requirement under subsection 7d7 of section #ahjd of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie;b-#b71 as added by subsection 7a7 of this section1 the status of notices created pursuant to such section1 and an evaluation of the effect of such notices on enrollment under title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act4 ,such report shall be made publicly available4 #c4 ,beneficiary ,medicare part ,b enrollment periods and effective date of coverage 7a7 ,effective dates ,section #ahch7;a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acieq7a77 is amended-- 7#a7 by amending paragraph 7#b7 to read as follows3 7#b7 7,a7 in the case of an individual who enrolls pursuant to subsection 7d7 of section #ahcg before the month in which he first satisfies paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b7 of section #ahcf1 the first day of such month1 7,b7 in the case of an individual not described in subparagraph 7,a7 who first satisfies such paragraph in a month beginning before ,january #bjai and who enrolls-- 7i7 pursuant to such subsection 7d7 in such month in which he first satisfies such paragraph1 the first day of the month following the month in which he so enrolls1 7ii7 pursuant to such subsection 7d7 in the month following such month in which he first satisfies such paragraph1 the first day of the second month following the month in which he so enrolls1 or 7iii7 pursuant to such subsection 7d7 more than one month following such month in which he satisfies such paragraph1 the first day of the third month following the month in which he so enrolls1 7,c7 in the case of an individual not described in subparagraph 7,a7 who enrolls pursuant to subsection 7e7 of section #ahcg in a month beginning before ,january #bjai1 the ,july #a following the month in which he so enrolls1 7,d7 in the case of an individual not described in subparagraph 7,a7 who first satisfies such paragraph in a month beginning on or after ,january #a1 #bjai1 and who enrolls pursuant to such subsection 7d7 in such month in which he first satisfies such paragraph or in any subsequent month1 the first day of the month following the month in which he so enrolls1 or 7,e7 in the case of an individual not described in subparagraph 7,a7 who enrolls pursuant to subsection 7e7 of section #ahcg in a month beginning on or after ,october #ae1 #bjah1 the first day of the month following the month in which he so enrolls4 2 and 7#b7 by amending paragraph 7#c7 to read as follows3 7#c7 7,a7 in the case of an individual who is deemed to have enrolled on or before the last day of the third month of his initial enrollment period beginning before ,january #a1 #bjai1 the first day of the month in which he first meets the applicable requirements of section #ahcf or ,july #a1 #aigc1 whichever is later1 or 7,b7 in the case of an individual who is deemed to have enrolled on or after the first day of the fourth month of his initial enrollment period beginning before ,january #a1 #bjai1 as prescribed under subparagraphs 7,b77i71 7,b77ii71 7,b77iii71 and 7,c7 of paragraph 7#b7 of this subsection4 4 7b7 ,general and special enrollment periods ,section #ahcg7;e7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciep7e77 is amended to read as follows3 7e7 ,enrollment ,periods 7#a7 ,for coverage during years before #bjai ,there shall be a general enrollment period during the period beginning on ,january #a and ending on ,march #ca of each year before #bjai4 7#b7 ,for coverage during years beginning with #bjai ,for #bjai and each subsequent year3 7,a7 ,in general ,subject to subparagraph 7,b71 there shall be a general enrollment period beginning on ,october #ae of the previous year through ,december #ca of such previous year4 7,b7 ,exceptional ,circumstances ,the ,secretary shall establish special enrollment periods in the case of a potentially eligible ,medicare individual 7as defined in section #ahjd7;d77#h77 who meets such exceptional conditions as the ,secretary may provide4 4 7c7 ,technical correction ,section #ahci7;b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acier7b77 is amended by striking close of the enrollment period each place it appears and inserting close of the month4