Studies

Study Effective Date Name of Act
Study Concerning Magnitude of Tobacco Smuggling in the United States 2/4/2009 Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009
Study and Report of Effect on Veterans Health Care 3/23/2010 Health Care Provisions
Study of Geographic Variation in Application of FPL 3/23/2010 Health Care Provisions

Study Concerning Magnitude of Tobacco Smuggling in the United States

Explanation of Provision

The provision requires the Secretary to submit to Congress a study concerning the magnitude of tobacco smuggling in the United States and to recommend the most effective steps to reduce it. The study would include a review of the loss of Federal tax revenue due to illicit tobacco trade in the United States, and the role of imported tobacco products in such illicit trade.

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Study and Report of Effect on Veterans Health Care

Explanation of Provision

The provision requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the effect (if any) of the fees assessed on manufacturers and importers of branded prescription drugs, manufacturers
and importers of medical devices, and health insurance providers on (1) the cost of medical care provided to veterans and (2) veterans’ access to branded prescription drugs and medical devices. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs will report the results of the study to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Finance of the Senate no later than December 31, 2012.

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Study of Geographic Variation in Application of FPL

Explanation of Provision

The Secretary of HHS is instructed to conduct a study on the feasibility and implication of adjusting the application of the FPL under the provisions enacted in the Act for different geographical areas so as to reflect disparities in the cost of living among different areas in the United States, including the territories. If the Secretary deems such an adjustment feasible, then the study should include a methodology for plementing the adjustment. The Secretary is required to report the results of the study to Congress no later than January 1, 2013. The provision requires that special attention be paid to the impact of disparities between the
poverty levels and the cost of living in the territories and the impact of this disparity on the expansion of health coverage in the territories. The territories are the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and any other territory or possession of the United States.

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