Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§300e–4 Loans and Loan Guarantees for Initial Operation Costs

Title 42 › CHAPTER 6A — PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER XI — HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS › § 300e–4

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary may make loans to public or private health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to help pay operating losses during their first 60 months of operation. The Secretary can also make loans for losses tied to a big increase in members or service area that happen within the first 60 months after that growth. For private HMOs, the Secretary can guarantee loans from non‑Federal lenders for those same amounts. The Secretary must find that the HMO tried all reasonable ways to cover the costs and that the HMO received a grant, loan, contract, or loan guarantee in fiscal year 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, or 1985 under this law or under section 300e–3(b) as it existed before October 1, 1985. A single HMO may not have more than $7,000,000 in loan principal made or guaranteed under these rules, and no more than $3,000,000 may be paid to an HMO in any 12‑month period. Total outstanding loans may also be limited by appropriation Acts. Loans come from the fund set up under section 300e–7(e). No loans or guarantees may be made after September 30, 1986. The Secretary should give special consideration to HMOs that serve medically underserved populations.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §300e–4

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Authority
The Secretary may—
(1)make loans to public or private health maintenance organizations to assist them in meeting the amount by which their costs of operation during a period not to exceed the first sixty months of their operation exceed their revenues in that period;
(2)make loans to public or private health maintenance organizations to assist them in meeting the amount by which their costs of operation, which the Secretary determines are attributable to significant expansion in their membership or area served and which are incurred during a period not to exceed the first sixty months of their operation after such expansion, exceed their revenues in that period which the Secretary determines are attributable to such expansion; and
(3)guarantee to non-Federal lenders payment of the principal of and the interest on loans made to private health maintenance organizations for the amounts referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2).
No loan or loan guarantee may be made under this subsection for the costs of operation of a health maintenance organization unless the Secretary determines that the organization has made all reasonable attempts to meet such costs, and unless the Secretary has made a grant or loan to, entered into a contract with, or guaranteed a loan for, the organization in fiscal year 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, or 1985 under this section or section 300e–3(b) of this title (as in effect before October 1, 1985).
(b)Limitations
(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), the aggregate amount of principal of loans made or guaranteed, or both, under subsection (a) for a health maintenance organization may not exceed $7,000,000. In any twelve-month period the amount disbursed to a health maintenance organization under this section (either directly by the Secretary, by an escrow agent under the terms of an escrow agreement, or by a lender under a guaranteed loan) may not exceed $3,000,000.
(2)The cumulative total of the principal of the loans outstanding at any time which have been directly made, or with respect to which guarantees have been issued, under subsection (a) may not exceed such limitations as may be specified in appropriation Acts.
(c)Source of loan funds
Loans under this section shall be made from the fund established under section 300e–7(e) of this title.
(d)Time limit on loans and loan guarantees
No loan may be made or guaranteed under this section after September 30, 1986.
(e)Repealed. Pub. L. 97–35, title IX, § 947(c), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 577
(f)Medically underserved populations
In considering applications for loan guarantees under this section, the Secretary shall give special consideration to applications for health maintenance organizations which will serve medically underserved populations.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 300e–3(b) of this title, referred to in subsec. (a), was repealed by Pub. L. 99–660, title VIII, § 803(a), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3799.

Amendments

1986—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–660 inserted “, and unless the Secretary has made a grant or loan to, entered into a contract with, or guaranteed a loan for, the organization in fiscal year 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, or 1985 under this section or section 300e–3(b) of this title (as in effect before
October 1, 1985)” at end of last sentence. 1981—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–35, § 943(a), in pars. (1) and (2) struck out “nonprofit” before “private”, and in par. (3) substituted provisions respecting guarantees for private health maintenance organizations, for guarantees for nonprofit private health maintenance organizations. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 97–35, § 943(b), generally revised limitations and, among many changes, increased amounts subject to coverage, and struck out requirements respecting Congressional oversight for increases in amounts. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97–35, § 943(c), substituted “1986” for “1981”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 97–35, § 947(c), struck out subsec. (e) which related to projects in nonmetropolitan areas. 1979—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 96–32 substituted “$4,500,000” for “$4,000,000” in two places. 1978—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–559, § 4(b)(1), substituted “costs of operation” for “operating costs” wherever appearing. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 95–559, § 4(a), (b)(2), inserted “(or $4,000,000 if the Secretary makes a written determination that such loans or loan guarantees are necessary to preserve the fiscally sound operation of the health maintenance organization and to protect against the risk of insolvency of the health maintenance organization and, within 30 days of the making of such loans or loan guarantees, furnishes the Committee on Human Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce of the House of Representatives with written notification of the making of the loans or loan guarantees and a copy of the written determination made with respect to the loans or loan guarantees and the reasons for the determination) through
September 30, 1979, and $4,000,000 thereafter” after “$2,500,000” and “(or $2,000,000 if the Secretary makes a written determination that such disbursements are necessary to preserve the fiscally sound operation of the health maintenance organization and protect against the risk of insolvency of the health maintenance organization and, within 30 days of such disbursement, furnishes the Committee on Human Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce of the House of Representatives with written notification of the making of the disbursement and a copy of the written determination made with respect to it and the reasons for the determination) through
September 30, 1979, and $2,000,000 thereafter” after “$1,000,000” and substituted “any twelve-month period” for “any fiscal year”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95–559, § 2(b), substituted “
September 30, 1981” for “
September 30, 1980”. 1976—Subsec. (a)(1), (2). Pub. L. 94–460, §§ 107(c), 109(a)(1), substituted “during a period not to exceed the first sixty months” for “in the period of the first thirty-six months”. Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 94–460, § 108(c), substituted reference to loans made to nonprofit private health maintenance organizations for the amounts referred to in paragraph (1) or (2), or to other private health maintenance organizations for such amounts but only if the health maintenance organization will serve a medically underserved population for reference to loans made to any private health maintenance organization (other than a private nonprofit health maintenance organization) for the amounts referred to in paragraph (1) or (2), but only if such health maintenance organization will serve a medically underserved population. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 94–460, § 109(a)(2), substituted “In any fiscal year the amount disbursed to a health maintenance organization under this section (either directly by the Secretary or by an escrow agent under the terms of an escrow agreement or by a lender under a loan guaranteed under this section) may not exceed $1,000,000” for “In any fiscal year, the amount disbursed under a loan or loans made or guaranteed under this section for a health maintenance organization may not exceed $1,000,000,000”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 94–460, § 113(b), substituted “No loan may be made or guaranteed under this section after
September 30, 1980” for “A loan or loan guarantee may be made under this section through the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1978”. Pub. L. 94–273 substituted “September” for “June”. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 94–460, § 108(d)(2), added subsec. (f). 1975—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 93–641 substituted provisions that amount disbursed under a loan or loans made or guaranteed under this section for a health maintenance organization may not exceed $1,000,000,000 for provisions that principal amount of any loan made or guaranteed under subsec. (a) of this section for a health maintenance organization may not exceed $1,000,000.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1986 Amendment Pub. L. 99–660, title VIII, § 804(b), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3800, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] does not apply to any loan or loan guarantee for the initial costs of operation of a health maintenance organization made under title XIII of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 300e et seq.] before October 1, 1985.” Amendment by Pub. L. 99–660 effective Oct. 1, 1985, see section 815(a) of Pub. L. 99–660, set out as an Effective and Termination Dates of 1986 Amendment note under section 300e–1 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1978 Amendment Pub. L. 95–559, § 4(d), Nov. 1, 1978, 92 Stat. 2133, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section and section 300e–7 of this title] shall only be effective for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 1978.”

Effective Date

of 1976 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 94–460 effective Oct. 8, 1976, except that the amendment of subsec. (a)(1), (2) of this section by section 107(c) of Pub. L. 94–460 applicable with respect to grants, contracts, loans, and loan guarantees made under this section and section 300e–2 and 300e–3 of this title for fiscal years beginning after Sept. 30, 1976, and except that the amendment of subsec. (a)(1), (2) of this section by section 109(a)(1) of Pub. L. 94–460 applicable with respect to loan guarantees made under this section after Sept. 30, 1976, see section 118 of Pub. L. 94–460, set out as a note under section 300e of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 300e–4

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110