,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #befd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #g1 #bjai,mr4   
,schrader 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,bilirakis1
 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,california1 and ,mr4
 ,buchanan7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and
 in addition to the ,committees on ,ways
 and ,means1 and ,education and ,labor1 
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 provide for a special 
enrollment period under ,medicare for   
individuals enrolled in ,,cobra         
continuation coverage1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,medicare           
,enrollment ,protection ,act4  #b4      
,treatment under ,medicare of           
individuals transitioning from ,,cobra  

continuation coverage  7a7 ,special     
enrollment period for individuals       
enrolled in ,,cobra continuation        
coverage ,section #ahcg7;i7 of the      
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#aciep7i77 is amended by adding at the  
end the following new paragraph3  7#e7  
7,a7 ,in the case of an individual who--
 7i7 7,i7 at the time the individual    
first satisfies paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b7  
of section #ahcf1 is enrolled in ,,cobra
 continuation coverage 7as defined in   
subparagraph 7,d772 or  7,,ii7 is       
enrolled in ,,cobra continuation        
coverage 7and made such enrollment after
 attaining #fe years of age7 and        
immediately prior to such enrollment was
 an individual described in paragraph   
7#a7 or 7#b7 of this subsection2 and    
7ii7 has elected not to enroll 7or to be
 deemed enrolled7 under this section    
during the individual's initial         
enrollment period2  there shall be a    
special enrollment period described in  
subparagraph 7,b74  7,b7 ,the special   

enrollment period referred to in        
subparagraph 7,a7 is the period that    
includes each month during any part of  
which the individual is enrolled in     
,,cobra continuation coverage4  7,c7 ,an
 individual may only enroll during the  
special enrollment period provided under
 subparagraph 7,b7 one time during the  
individual's lifetime4  7,d7 ,for       
purposes of this paragraph1 the term    
,,cobra continuation coverage means     
continuation coverage-- 7i7 under a     
,,cobra continuation provision 7as      
defined in section #bgia7;d77#d7 of the 
,public ,health ,service ,act72  7ii7   
pursuant to section #hije;a of title #e1
 ,united ,states ,code2 or  7iii7 under 
a similar ,state program that provides  
comparable continuation coverage4  4    
7b7 ,coverage period for individuals    
transitioning from ,,cobra continuation 
coverage ,section #ahch7;e7 of the      
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#acieq7e77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking
 pursuant to section #ahcg7;i77#c7 or   

#ahcg7;i77#d77;,b7 and inserting the    
following3  pursuant to-- 7#a7 section  
#ahcg7;i77#c7 or #ahcg7;i77#d77;,b7--  2
  7#b7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#a7 
and 7#b7 as subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b71
 respectively1 and moving the           
indentation of each such subparagraph #b
 ems to the right2  7#c7 by striking the
 period at the end of the subparagraph  
7,b71 as so redesignated1 and inserting 
2 or2 and  7#d7 by adding at the end the
 following new paragraph3  7#b7 section 
#ahcg7;i77#e71 the coverage period shall
 begin on the first day of the month    
following the month in which the        
individual so enrolls4  4  7c7 ,no      
increase in premium ,section #ahci7;b7  
of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acier7b77  
is amended-- 7#a7 in the first sentence1
 by inserting 1 7i77#e71 after          
subsection 7i77#d72 and  7#b7 in the    
second sentence1 by inserting before the
 period at the end the following3 or    
months for which the individual can     
demonstrate that the individual was     

enrolled in ,,cobra continuation        
coverage 7as such term is defined in    
section #ahcg7;i77#e77;,d7744  7d7      
,updating ,,cobra continuation coverage 
notifications ,the ,secretary of ,labor1
 in consultation with the ,secretary of 
,health and ,human ,services1 shall     
update the ,,cobra continuation coverage
 election notice and ,,cobra            
continuation coverage general notice    
required under section #fjf of the      
,employee ,retirement ,income ,security 
,act of #aigd 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #aaff7 to  
be given by an employer to an employee  
eligible for ,,cobra continuation       
coverage to include an explanation of   
how the ,medicare secondary payer rules 
under section #ahfb7;b7 of the ,social  
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciey7b77
 apply with respect to ,,cobra          
continuation coverage4  7e7 ,effective  
date ,the amendments made by this       
section shall take effect on the date of
 the enactment of this ,act and shall   
apply to periods of ,,cobra continuation

 coverage beginning on or after such    
date4