Program Name	Purpose	Act* Original Act or most recent Congressional activity	Senate		House of Representatives		Agency, Office
			Committee	Subcommittee	Committee	Subcommittee
Medicare (Part A) (Medicare Hospital Insurance)	To provide hospital insurance protection for covered services to people age 65 or above, to certain disabled people, and to individuals with chronic renal disease.	Social Security Act Amendments of 1965, Title XVIII, Part A, P.L. 89-97	Committee on Finance	(1) Health Care, (2) Social Security and Family Protection	Committee on Ways and Means	(1) Health, (2) Social Security	Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Medicare (Part B) (Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance)	To provide medical insurance protection for covered services to people age 65 or over, to certain disabled people, and to individuals with end-stage renal disease who elect this coverage.	Social Security Act Amendments of 1965, Title XVIII, Part B, P.L. 89-97	Committee on Finance	(1) Health Care, (2) Social Security and Family Protection	Committee on Ways and Means	(1) Health, (2) Social Security	Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Medicare (Part D)	Under Part D of the Social Security Act, the Medicare program includes a voluntary prescription drug benefit. Beneficiaries entitled to Part A and enrolled in Part B, enrollees in Medicare Advantage private fee-for-service plans, and enrollees in Medicare Savings Account Plans will be eligible for the prescription drug benefit. The prescription drug benefit is available to eligible individuals beginning January 1, 2006.	Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (P. L. No. 108-173, 117 Stat. 2066, codified at 42 U.S.C. sec. 1395w-101)	Committee on Finance	(1) Health Care, (2) Social Security and Family Protection	Committee on Ways and Means	(1) Health, (2) Social Security	Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Medicaid	To provide financial assistance to states for payments of medical assistance on behalf of cash assistance recipients, children, pregnant women, and the aged who meet income and resource requirements, and other categorically eligible groups. In certain states that elect to provide such coverage, medically needy people, who, except for income and resources, would be eligible for cash assistance, may be eligible for medical assistance payments under this program. Financial assistance is provided to states to pay for Medicare premiums, copayments, and deductibles of qualified Medicare beneficiaries meeting certain income requirements. More limited financial assistance is available for certain Medicare beneficiaries with higher incomes.	Medicaid Act (Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, Title XIX, as added July 30, 1965, P.L. 89-97, Title I, § 121(a), 79 Stat. 343)	Committee on Finance	(1) Health Care, (2) Social Security and Family Protection	(1) Committee on Ways and Means (2) Committee on Energy and Commerce	Ways and Means: (1) Health, (2) Social Security; Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health	Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Medicaid, Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver	Program gives states flexibility to design programs to meet the specific needs of defined groups. States may create programs to serve the elderly, people with physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, mental retardation, or mental illness. States may also target programs by specific illness or condition as well as people with acquired or traumatic brain injury. States can make home- and community-based services available to individuals who would otherwise qualify for Medicaid only if they were in an institutional setting. States may offer a variety of services to participants under an HCBS waiver program and are not limited to the number of services that can be provided. States may use an HCBS waiver program to provide a combination of both traditional medical services as well as nonmedical services. There are no specific services that must be offered in an HCBS waiver program. There is no limit on the number of services that can be offered under a single waiver program as long as the waiver retains cost-neutrality and the services are necessary to avoid institutionalization.	Social Security Act (Aug. 14, 1935, c. 531, Title XIX, § 1915, as added and amended Aug. 13, 1981, P.L. 97-35, Title XXI, §§ 2175(b), 2176, 2177(a)), Medicare and Medicaid Amendments of 1981 (P.L. 97-35, Title XXI, Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 783) (codified at 42 U.S.C. sec. 1396n)	Committee on Finance	(1) Health Care, (2) Social Security and Family Protection	(1) Committee on Ways and Means, (2) Committee on Energy and Commerce	Ways and Means: (1) Health, (2) Social Security; Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health	Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services