Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

The following bills were introduced in the House:

H.R. 2423. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to prohibit physicians and other health care practitioners from charging a membership or other incidental fee (or requiring purchase of other items or services) as a prerequisite for the provision of an item or service to a Medicare beneficiary. Introduced June 11 by Rep. Ben Cardin (D-MD), referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R. 2451. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve geographic equity in the provision of items and services provided to Medicare beneficiaries. Introduced June 12 by Rep. Steve King (R-IA), referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

H.R. 2453. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage under the Medicare program of substitute adult day care services. Introduced June 12 by Rep. Jerry Kleczka (D-WI), referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

H.R. 2461. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for establishment of a Medicare prescription drug benefit covering costs that exceed a percentage of a beneficiary's income. Introduced June 12 by Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means.

The following bills were introduced in the Senate:

S. 1206. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for special treatment for certain drugs and biologicals under the prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services under the Medicare program. Introduced June 9 by Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO), referred to the Committee on Finance.

S. 1220. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend reasonable cost contracts under the Medicare program, to expand the area in which plans offered under such contracts may operate, to apply certain provisions of the Medicare+Choice program to such plans. Introduced June 10 by Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO), referred to the Committee on Finance.

S. 1222. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the secretary of Health and Human Services, in determining eligibility for payment under the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities, to apply criteria consistent with rehabilitation impairment categories established by the secretary for purposes of such prospective payment system. Introduced June 10 by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), referred to the Committee on Finance.

S. 1227. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of substitute adult day services under the Medicare program. Introduced June 10 by Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), referred to the Committee on Finance.

S. 1. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make improvements in the Medicare program, to provide prescription drug coverage under the Medicare program. Introduced June 11 by Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN), referred to the Committee on Finance.

S. 1238. A bill to amend titles XVIII, XIX, and XXI of the Social Security Act to improve women's health. Introduced June 11 by Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), referred to the Committee on Finance.

S. 1249. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to waive the Part B late enrollment penalty for military retirees who enroll December 31, 2004, and to provide a special Part B enrollment period for such retirees. Introduced June 12 by Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), referred to the Committee on Finance.

S. 1257. A bill to conduct statewide demonstration projects to improve health care quality and to reduce costs under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act and to conduct a study on payment incentives and performance under the Medicare+Choice program under such title. Introduced June 12 by Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), referred to the Committee on Finance.

S. 1259. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend the minimum Medicare deadlines for filing claims to take into account delay in processing adjustments from secondary payer status to primary payer status. Introduced June 13 by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), referred to the Committee on Finance.