,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cjdd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #bc1 #bjag,mr4 
,meehan 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,sewell of   
,alabama1 ,mr4 ,lance1 ,ms4 ,de,gette1  
and ,mr4 ,kennedy7 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 expand    
supplemental benefits to meet the needs 
of chronically ill ,medicare ,advantage 
enrollees under the ,medicare program1  
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,expanding 
supplemental benefits to meet the needs 
of chronically ill medicare advantage   
enrollees  7a7 ,in general ,section     
#aheb7;a77#c7 of the ,social ,security  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#bb7;a77#c77 

is amended-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,a71 
by striking ,each and inserting ,subject
 to subparagraph 7,d71 each2 and  7#b7  
by adding at the end the following new  
subparagraph3  7,d7 ,expanding          
supplemental benefits to meet the needs 
of chronically ill enrollees  7i7 ,in   
general ,for plan year #bjbj and        
subsequent plan years1 in addition to   
any supplemental health care benefits   
otherwise provided under this paragraph1
 an ,,ma plan may provide supplemental  
benefits described in clause 7ii7 to a  
chronically ill enrollee 7as defined in 
clause 7iii774  7ii7 ,supplemental      
benefits described  7,i7 ,in general    
,supplemental benefits described in this
 clause are supplemental benefits that1 
with respect to a chronically ill       
enrollee1 have a reasonable expectation 
of improving or maintaining the health  
or overall function of the chronically  
ill enrollee and may not be limited to  
being primarily health related benefits4
  7,,ii7 ,authority to waive uniformity 

requirements ,the ,secretary may1 only  
with respect to supplemental benefits   
provided to a chronically ill enrollee  
under this subparagraph1 waive the      
uniformity requirement under subsection 
7d77#a77;,a71 as determined appropriate 
by the ,secretary4  7iii7 ,chronically  
ill enrollee defined ,in this           
subparagraph1 the term chronically ill  
enrollee means an enrollee in an ,,ma   
plan that the ,secretary determines--   
7,i7 has one or more comorbid and       
medically complex chronic conditions    
that is life threatening or             
significantly limits the overall health 
or function of the enrollee2  7,,ii7 has
 a high risk of hospitalization or other
 adverse health outcomes2 or  7,,iii7   
requires intensive care coordination4  4
  7b7 ,,gao ,study and ,report  7#a7    
,study ,the ,comptroller ,general of the
 ,united ,states 7in this subsection    
referred to as the ,comptroller         
,general7 shall conduct a study on      
supplemental benefits provided to       

enrollees in ,medicare ,advantage plans 
under part ,c of title ,,xviii of the   
,social ,security ,act4 ,such study     
shall include an analysis of the        
following3  7,a7 ,the type of           
supplemental benefits provided to such  
enrollees1 the total number of enrollees
 receiving each supplemental benefit1   
and whether the supplemental benefit is 
covered by the standard benchmark cost  
of the benefit or with an additional    
premium4  7,b7 ,the frequency in which  
supplemental benefits are utilized by   
such enrollees4  7,c7 ,the impact       
supplemental benefits have on--  7i7    
indicators of the quality of care       
received by such enrollees1 including   
overall health and function of the      
enrollees2  7ii7 the utilization of     
items and services for which benefits   
are available under the original        
,medicare fee-for-service program option
 under parts ,a and ,b of such title    
,,xviii by such enrollees2 and  7iii7   
the amount of the bids submitted by     

,medicare ,advantage ,organizations for 
,medicare ,advantage plans under such   
part ,c4  7#b7 ,report ,not later than  
#e years after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general
 shall submit to ,congress a report     
containing the results of the study     
conducted under paragraph 7#a71 together
 with recommendations for such          
legislation and administrative action as
 the ,comptroller ,general determines   
appropriate4