Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 111 Part 1.djvu/303

 PUBLIC LAW 105-33 —AUG. 5, 1997 111 STAT. 279 period (as defined in subsection (e)(3)(B)), the Secretary shall mail to each Medicare+Choice eligible individual residing in an area the following: " (i) GENERAL INFORMATION.—The general information described in paragraph (3). "(ii) LIST OF PLANS AND COMPARISON OF PLAN OPTIONS. —A l ist identifying the Medicare+Choice plans that are (or will be) available to residents of the area and information described in paragraph (4) concerning such plans. Such information shall be presented in a comparative form. "(iii) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. —Any other information that the Secretary determines will assist the individual in making the election under this section. The mailing of such information shall be coordinated, to the extent practicable, with the mailing of any annual notice under section 1804. "(B) NOTIFICATION TO NEWLY ELIGIBLE MEDICARE+CHOICE ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS. —To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall, not later than 30 days before the beginning of the initial Medicare+Choice enrollment period for an individual described in subsection (e)(1), mail to the individual the information described in subparagraph (A). "(C) FORM. —The information disseminated under this paragraph shall be written and formatted using language that is easily understandable by medicare beneficiaries. "(D) PERIODIC UPDATING.—The information described in subparagraph (A) shall be updated on at least an annual basis to reflect changes in the availability of Medicare+Choice plans and the benefits and Medicare+Choice monthly basic and supplemental beneficiary premiums for such plans. "(3) GENERAL INFORMATION.— General information under this paragraph, with respect to coverage under this part during a year, shall include the following: "(A) BENEFITS UNDER ORIGINAL MEDICARE FEE-FOR- SERVICE PROGRAM OPTION. — ^A general description of the benefits covered under the original medicare fee-for-service program under parts A and B, including— "(i) covered items and services, "(ii) beneficiary cost sharing, such as deductibles, coinsurance, and copa3ment amounts, and "(iii) any beneficiary liability for balance billing. "(B) ELECTION PROCEDURES. —Information and instructions on how to exercise election options under this section. "(C) RIGHTS.— ^A general description of procedural rights (including grievance and appeals procedures) of beneficiaries under the original medicare fee-for-service program and the Medicare+Choice program and the right to be protected against discrimination based on health statusrelated factors under section 1852(b). " (D) INFORMATION ON MEDIGAP AND MEDICARE SELECT.—^A general description of the benefits, enrollment rights, and other requirements applicable to medicare supplemental policies under section 1882 and provisions

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