PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Feb 5, 2003
Seniors Health and Independence Preservation Act of 2003 - Amends part C (Medicare+Choice) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) consolidate and restate the Federal laws relating to the social health maintenance organization (SHMO) demonstration projects; and (2) make the projects permanent.Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate a regulation that permits each SHMO demonstration project to expand its service area to include areas within the State served by the organization that are not contiguous to any other service area of the organization.Permits the participation in the SHMO demonstration project program of: (1) the five organizations authorized under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 to demonstrate the concept of SHMOs that were approved by the Secretary in 1995; and (2) each entity that received a planning grant in 1998 under the 1997 Grants Program for Reforming Service Delivery for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries to develop a Second Generation Social HMO Demonstration Program.Requires the Secretary to notify the appropriate congressional committees prior to making any change to the benefits available under a SHMO demonstration project.Directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to study and report to Congress on the cost-effectiveness of SHMO demonstration projects and their potential expansion.Requires the Secretary to conduct, and report to Congress on, a comparative qualitative survey of the satisfaction of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in: (1) the original Medicare fee-for-service program under Medicare parts A (Hospital Insurance) and B (Supplementary Medical Insurance); (2) a Medicare+Choice plan under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice); and (3) an SHMO.
People & committees
Sen. Smith, Gordon H. [R-OR] · R–OR
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1981-1982)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 18, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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