,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cgef  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #ac1      
#bjag,ms4 ,blunt ,rochester 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 exclude   
,,ma quality rating bonuses for certain 
new entrant ,medicare ,advantage plans  
from benchmark cap4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,medicare
 ,advantage ,quality ,expansion ,act of 
#bjag4  #b4 ,,ma quality rating bonuses 
for certain new entrant plans excluded  
from benchmark cap ,section #ahec of the
 ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#aciew-#bc7 is amended--  7#a7 in       
subsection 7n7 by amending paragraph    

7#d7 to read as follows3  7#d7 ,cap on  
benchmark amount  7,a7 ,in general ,in  
no case shall the blended benchmark     
amount for an area for a year           
7determined1 subject to subparagraph    
7,b71 taking into account subsection    
7o77 be greater than the applicable     
amount that would 7but for the          
application of this subsection7 be      
determined under subsection 7k77#a7 for 
the area for the year4  7,b7 ,quality   
rating bonuses applicable to certain new
 entrant plans not considered in blended
 benchmark determination  7i7 ,in       
general ,subsection 7o7 shall not be    
taken into account in determining the   
blended benchmark for purposes of       
subparagraph 7,a7 in the case of any    
increase under such subsection          
applicable to a ,medicare ,advantage    
plan that is a new entrant plan1 with   
respect to an area1 as described in     
clause 7ii74  7ii7 ,new entrant plan    
,for purposes of clause 7i71 a ,medicare
 ,advantage plan is a new entrant plan1 

with respect to an area1 if--  7,i7 the 
plan is offered in such area beginning  
on or after ,january #a1 #bjah1 by an   
organization or sponsor that did not    
offer a ,medicare ,advantage plan in    
such area during the #c-year period     
preceding ,january #a1 #bjah2 and       
7,,ii7 as of the date the plan is first 
offered in such area1 there was not any 
other ,medicare ,advantage plan being   
offered in the area that was a          
qualifying plan 7as defined in paragraph
 7#c77;,a774  2 and  7#b7 in subsection 
7o71 by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph3  7#f7 ,increase in case  
of certain new entrant plans made       
without regard to benchmark cap ,an     
increase under this subsection1 with    
respect to a new entrant plan 7as       
described in subsection                 
7n77#d77;,b77ii77 for an area1 shall be 
made to the applicable percentage       
determined under subsection 7n77#b77;,b7
 without regard to the limitation under 
subsection 7n77#d77;,a74  4