Here are some highlights of the catastrophic health insurance legislation approved Wednesday by a House-Senate conference committee: HOSPITAL _ Expands full coverage from maximum of 59 days a year to 364 days. A ``first-day'' deductible will continue to be required. DOCTOR BILLS _ Full payment of ``reasonable and proper'' doctor bills after an annual deductible is met. The deductible, yet to be precisely determined, will be from $1,320 and $1,400. Medicare continues to pay 80 percent of charges, with the 20 percent not now covered counting toward the annual deductible for the catastrophic benefit. DRUGS _ Medicare pays 50 percent of outpatient drug costs, after a $600 annual deductible, starting in 1991. Medicare pays 60 percent the following year and 80 percent in 1993 and thereafter, with the deductible to be indexed to rising drug costs. Medicare now has no across-the-board prescription drug coverage. COSTS _ To be paid solely by Medicare beneficaries. Current Part B premium of $24.80 to increase by about $4 a month in 1989. By 1993, the ``catastrophic'' monthly premium is projected at $10.20, in addition to whatever the regular Part B premium is at that time. More than 60 percent of total program costs are to be financed by an additional ``supplemental'' premium that is linked to federal income tax liability. The supplemental is estimated at $22 a year per $150 of tax liability in 1989, rising to $42 a year per $150 of tax liability in 1993.
