§ 1395t. Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund

(a) Creation; deposits; fund transfers

There is hereby created on the books of the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the “Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund” (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Trust Fund”). The Trust Fund shall consist of such gifts and bequests as may be made as provided in section 401 (i)(1) of this title, such amounts as may be deposited in, or appropriated to, such fund as provided in this part, and such amounts as may be deposited in, or appropriated to, the Medicare Prescription Drug Account established by section 1395w–116 of this title or the Transitional Assistance Account established by section 1395w–141 (k)(1) of this title.

(b) Board of Trustees; composition; meetings; duties

With respect to the Trust Fund, there is hereby created a body to be known as the Board of Trustees of the Trust Fund (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Board of Trustees”) composed of the Commissioner of Social Security, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, all ex officio, and of two members of the public (both of whom may not be from the same political party), who shall be nominated by the President for a term of four years and subject to confirmation by the Senate. A member of the Board of Trustees serving as a member of the public and nominated and confirmed to fill a vacancy occurring during a term shall be nominated and confirmed only for the remainder of such term. An individual nominated and confirmed as a member of the public may serve in such position after the expiration of such member’s term until the earlier of the time at which the member’s successor takes office or the time at which a report of the Board is first issued under paragraph (2) after the expiration of the member’s term. The Secretary of the Treasury shall be the Managing Trustee of the Board of Trustees (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Managing Trustee”). The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shall serve as the Secretary of the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees shall meet not less frequently than once each calendar year. It shall be the duty of the Board of Trustees to—

(1) Hold the Trust Fund;

(2) Report to the Congress not later than the first day of April of each year on the operation and status of the Trust Fund during the preceding fiscal year and on its expected operation and status during the current fiscal year and the next 2 fiscal years; Each report provided under paragraph (2) beginning with the report in 2005 shall include the information specified in section 801(a) of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.^[1]

(3) Report immediately to the Congress whenever the Board is of the opinion that the amount of the Trust Fund is unduly small; and

(4) Review the general policies followed in managing the Trust Fund, and recommend changes in such policies, including necessary changes in the provisions of law which govern the way in which the Trust Fund is to be managed.

The report provided for in paragraph (2) shall include a statement of the assets of, and the disbursements made from, the Trust Fund during the preceding fiscal year, an estimate of the expected income to, and disbursements to be made from, the Trust Fund during the current fiscal year and each of the next 2 fiscal years, and a statement of the actuarial status of the Trust Fund. Such report shall also include an actuarial opinion by the Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services certifying that the techniques and methodologies used are generally accepted within the actuarial profession and that the assumptions and cost estimates used are reasonable. Such report shall be printed as a House document of the session of the Congress to which the report is made. A person serving on the Board of Trustees shall not be considered to be a fiduciary and shall not be personally liable for actions taken in such capacity with respect to the Trust Fund.

It shall be the duty of the Managing Trustee to invest such portion of the Trust Fund as is not, in his judgment, required to meet current withdrawals. Such investments may be made only in interest-bearing obligations of the United States or in obligations guaranteed as to both principal and interest by the United States. For such purpose such obligations may be acquired

(1) on original issue at the issue price, or

(2) by purchase of outstanding obligations at the market price. The purposes for which obligations of the United States may be issued under chapter 31 of title 31 are hereby extended to authorize the issuance at par of public-debt obligations for purchase by the Trust Fund. Such obligations issued for purchase by the Trust Fund shall have maturities fixed with due regard for the needs of the Trust Fund and shall bear interest at a rate equal to the average market yield (computed by the Managing Trustee on the basis of market quotations as of the end of the calendar month next preceding the date of such issue) on all marketable interest-bearing obligations of the United States then forming a part of the public debt which are not due or callable until after the expiration of 4 years from the end of such calendar month; except that where such average market yield is not a multiple of one-eighth of 1 per centum, the rate of interest on such obligations shall be the multiple of one-eighth of 1 per centum nearest such market yield. The Managing Trustee may purchase other interest-bearing obligations of the United States or obligations guaranteed as to both principal and interest by the United States, on original issue or at the market price, only where he determines that the purchase of such other obligations is in the public interest.

(d) Authority of Managing Trustee to sell obligations

Any obligations acquired by the Trust Fund (except public-debt obligations issued exclusively to the Trust Fund) may be sold by the Managing Trustee at the market price, and such public-debt obligations may be redeemed at par plus accrued interest.

(e) Interest on or proceeds from sale or redemption of obligations

The interest on, and the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any obligations held in the Trust Fund shall be credited to and form a part of the Trust Fund.

(f) Transfers to other Funds

There shall be transferred periodically (but not less often than once each fiscal year) to the Trust Fund from the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and from the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund amounts equivalent to the amounts not previously so transferred which the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall have certified as overpayments (other than amounts so certified to the Railroad Retirement Board) pursuant to section 1395gg (b) of this title. There shall be transferred periodically (but not less often than once each fiscal year) to the Trust Fund from the Railroad Retirement Account amounts equivalent to the amounts not previously so transferred which the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall have certified as overpayments to the Railroad Retirement Board pursuant to section 1395gg (b) of this title.

(g) Payments from Trust Fund of amounts provided for by this part or with respect to administrative expenses

The Managing Trustee shall pay from time to time from the Trust Fund such amounts as the Secretary of Health and Human Services certifies are necessary to make the payments provided for by this part, and the payments with respect to administrative expenses in accordance with section 401 (g)(1) of this title. The payments provided for under part D of this subchapter, other than under section 1395w–141 (k)(2) of this title, shall be made from the Medicare Prescription Drug Account in the Trust Fund. The payments provided for under section 1395w–141 (k)(2) of this title shall be made from the Transitional Assistance Account in the Trust Fund.

(h) Payments from Trust Fund of costs incurred by Director of Office of Personnel Management

The Managing Trustee shall pay from time to time from the Trust Fund such amounts as the Secretary of Health and Human Services certifies are necessary to pay the costs incurred by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management in making deductions pursuant to section 1395s (d) of this title or pursuant to section 1395w–113 (c)(1) or 1395w–24 (d)(2)(A) of this title (in which case payments shall be made in appropriate part from the Medicare Prescription Drug Account in the Trust Fund). During each fiscal year, or after the close of such fiscal year, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall certify to the Secretary the amount of the costs the Director incurred in making such deductions, and such certified amount shall be the basis for the amount of such costs certified by the Secretary to the Managing Trustee.

(i) Payments from Trust Fund of costs incurred by Railroad Retirement Board

The Managing Trustee shall pay from time to time from the Trust Fund such amounts as the Secretary of Health and Human Services certifies are necessary to pay the costs incurred by the Railroad Retirement Board for services performed pursuant to section 1395s (b)(1) and section 1395u (g) of this title and pursuant to sections 1395w–113 (c)(1) and 1395w–24 (d)(2)(A) of this title (in which case payments shall be made in appropriate part from the Medicare Prescription Drug Account in the Trust Fund). During each fiscal year or after the close of such fiscal year, the Railroad Retirement Board shall certify to the Secretary the amount of the costs it incurred in performing such services and such certified amount shall be the basis for the amount of such costs certified by the Secretary to the Managing Trustee.

[1] So in original. See 2003 Amendment note below.

U.S. Code

§ 1395t. Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund