§ 1395b. Option to individuals to obtain other health insurance protection

Pub. L. 105–33, title IV, § 4021, , 111 Stat. 347, established National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare which was directed to review and analyze long-term financial condition of medicare program, identify problems that threaten financial integrity of Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund, analyze potential solutions that will ensure both financial integrity of medicare program and provision of appropriate benefits under such program, and make recommendations for, among other things, restoring solvency of Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and financial integrity of Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund, establishing appropriate financial structure of medicare program as a whole, and establishing appropriate balance of benefits covered and beneficiary contributions to medicare program, further provided for membership of Commission, meetings, personnel and staff matters, powers of Commission, appropriations, submission of final report to Congress not later than , and termination of Commission 30 days after submission of final report.

Pub. L. 100–360, title IV, subtitle A, §§ 401–408, , 102 Stat. 765–768, as amended by Pub. L. 100–647, title VIII, § 8414, , 102 Stat. 3801; Pub. L. 101–239, title VI, § 6220, , 103 Stat. 2254, established the United States Bipartisan Commission on Comprehensive Health Care, also known as the “Claude Pepper Commission” or the “Pepper Commission”, and directed Commission to examine shortcomings in health care delivery and financing mechanisms that limit or prevent access of all individuals in United States to comprehensive health care, and make specific recommendations respecting Federal programs, policies, and financing needed to assure the availability of comprehensive long-term care services for elderly and disabled, as well as comprehensive health care services for all individuals in the United States, and further provided for membership of Commission, staff and consultants, powers, authorization of appropriations, submission of findings and recommendations to Congress not later than , and for termination of Commission 30 days after submissions to Congress.

Pub. L. 100–360, title IV, § 421, , 102 Stat. 808, as amended by Pub. L. 100–485, title VI, § 608(a), , 102 Stat. 2411, which required employers who had been providing health care benefits to employees that were duplicative part A and part B benefits to provide the employees with additional benefits equal to the total actuarial value of such duplicative benefits, was repealed by Pub. L. 101–234, title III, § 301(a), , 103 Stat. 1985. [Repeal not applicable to duplicative part A benefits for periods before , see section 301(e)(1) of Pub. L. 101–234, set out as an Effective Date of 1989 Amendment note under section 1395u of this title.]

Pub. L. 99–272, title IX, § 9601, , 100 Stat. 221, as amended by Pub. L. 105–362, title VI, § 601(b)(3), , 112 Stat. 3286, directed Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with National Association of Insurance Commissioners, to establish Task Force on Long-Term Health Care Policies to develop recommendations for long-term health care policies designed to limit marketing and agent abuse for those policies, to assure dissemination of such information to consumers as is necessary to permit informed choice in purchasing policies and to reduce purchase of unnecessary or duplicative coverage, to assure that benefits provided under policies are reasonable in relationship to premiums charged, and to promote development and availability of long-term health care policies which meet these recommendations, and further provided for composition of Task Force, definition of long-term health care policy, assurance of States’ jurisdiction, submission of recommendations to Secretary and Congress not later than 18 months after , and termination of Task Force 90 days after submission of recommendations.