[Pages S1422-S1423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

By Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself and Mr. Sarbanes):
S. 1982. A bill to amend chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code,
to increase the Government contribution for Federal employee health
insurance; to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Federal
Employees Health Benefits Improvement Act of 2002 along with my
colleague from Maryland, Senator Sarbanes. This bill would reduce the
employee portion of premiums costs under the Federal Employee Health
Benefits Plan.
Our Federal employees work hard for the American people and they
deserve quality benefits.
What is the need for this legislation?
Health insurance premiums for Federal employees and retirees rose an
average of 13.3 percent this year. In contrast, wages rose by 4.77
percent in the Washington-Baltimore area. This follows a 10.5 percent
increase last year, and increases of greater than 9 percent for 2000
and 1999. As a result, premiums are nearly 50 percent greater than they
were just five years ago.
The Federal program provides health insurance coverage to about 9
million government workers, retirees and family members. More than
800,000 of these workers live in the DC metro area.
Health insurance costs are skyrocketing, and Federal employees are
paying a greater share of their take home pay for health care each
year. Currently, Federal employees pay anywhere between 28 percent to
30 percent of premiums. In the private sector, other large employers
pay at least 80 percent of premiums and employees pay 20 percent
according to recent data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
and the Kaiser Family Foundation.
How would this bill help solve this problem?
This bill would change the financing formula for Federal Employees
Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). Under this approach, the federal
agencies would pay 80 percent of the weighted average for premiums.
This would help reduce the out-of-pocket health care costs for federal
employees and improve the affordability of FEHBP immensely.
What would this mean to Federal employees?
My bill would help improve the affordability of health care insurance
for all 9 million. Currently, about 250,000 Federal employees do not
have health insurance. Many of them cannot afford health care insurance
at the current rates. My proposal would improve the affordability of
health care insurance so that many of these workers would be able to
afford coverage.
Providing quality benefits for Federal employees is also an important
tool in helping recruit and retain a high quality workforce and compete
with the private sector and other state and local governments.
This bill would have an enormous impact in my State, Maryland, but
would also benefit Federal workers nationally. Under this proposal, the
percent that a Federal employee pays in health insurance premiums would
decline, putting more money into Federal employees pockets each pay
period.
This bill improves benefits for our hardworking Federal employees.
I urge my colleagues to join me in expressing support for this bill.
______

By Mr. BUNNING:
S. 1984. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human
Services to make grants to nonprofit tax-exempt organizations for the
purchase of ultrasound equipment to provide free examinations to
pregnant women needing such services, and for other purposes; to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:

S. 1984

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. GRANTS FOR PURCHASE OF ULTRASOUND EQUIPMENT.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human services
may make grants for the purchase of ultrasound equipment.
Such ultrasound equipment shall be used by the recipients of
such grants to provide, under the direction and supervision
of a licensed medical physician, free ultrasound examinations
to pregnant woman needing such services.
(b) Eligibility Requirements.--An entity may receive a
grant under subsection (a) only if the entity meets the
following conditions:
(1) The entity is a nonprofit private organization that is
approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt
entity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986.
(2) The entity operates as a community based pregnancy help
medical clinic, as defined in subsection (f).
(3) The entity provides medical services to pregnant women
under the guidance and supervision of a physician who serves
as the medical director of the clinic and is duly licensed to
practice medicine in the State in which the entity is
located.
(4) The entity is legally qualified to provide such medical
services to pregnant women and is in compliance with all
Federal, State, and local requirements for the provision of
such services.
(5) The entity agrees to comply with the following medical
procedures:
(A) Each pregnant woman upon whom the ultrasound equipment
is used will be shown the visual image of the fetus from the
ultrasound examination and will be given a general anatomical
and physiological description of the characteristics of the
fetus.
(B) Each pregnant woman will be given, according to the
best medical judgment of the physician performing the
ultrasound examination or the physician's agent performing
such exam, the approximate age of the embryo or fetus
considering the number of weeks elapsed from the probable
time of the conception of the embryo or fetus, based upon the
information provided by the client as to the time of her last
menstrual period, her medical history, a physical
examination, or appropriate laboratory tests.
(C) Each pregnant woman will be given information on
abortion and alternatives to

[[Page S1423]]

abortion such as childbirth and adoption and information
concerning public and private agencies that will assist in
those alternatives.
(D) The entity will obtain and maintain medical malpractice
insurance in an amount not less than $1,000,000, and such
insurance will cover all activities relating to the use of
the ultrasound machine purchased with the grant under
subsection (a).
(6) The entity does not receive more than 30 percent of its
gross annual revenue from a single source or donor.
(c) Limitation on Individual Grant Amount.--No grant under
subsection (a) may be made in an amount that exceeds an
amount equal to 50 percent of the purchase price cost of the
ultrasound machine involved, or $20,000, whichever is less.
(d) Application for Grant.--A grant may be made under
subsection (a) only if an application for the grant is
submitted to the Secretary and the application is in such
form, is made in such manner, and contains such agreements,
assurances, and information as the Secretary determines to be
necessary to carry out this section.
(e) Annual Report to Secretary.--A grant may be made under
subsection (a) only if the applicant for the grant agrees to
report on an annual basis to the Secretary, in such form and
manner as the Secretary may require, on the ongoing
compliance of the applicant with the eligibility conditions
established in subsection (b).
(f) Definitions.--For purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ``community based pregnancy help medical
clinic'' means a facility that--
(A) provides free medical services to pregnant women under
the supervision and direction of a licensed physician who
serves as the medical director for such clinic; and
(B) does not charge for any services rendered to its
clients, whether or not such services are for pregnancy or
nonpregnancy related matters.
(2) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health
and Human Services.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of
carrying out this section, there are authorized to be
appropriated $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2003, and such sums
as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2004 through
2006.

____________________