Reducing Administrative Burden and Becoming Increasingly Transparent Act
This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to solicit feedback from the public, including providers, on certain Medicare administrative and regulatory issues.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7248 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7248
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary
of Human Services to solicit information from providers and suppliers
of services on ways to reduce administrative and regulatory burdens
under the Medicare program, to provide for transparency and public
feedback for evaluating a post-acute care prospective payment system
under such title, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 11, 2018
Mr. Marchant (for himself and Ms. Sewell of Alabama) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means,
and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary
of Human Services to solicit information from providers and suppliers
of services on ways to reduce administrative and regulatory burdens
under the Medicare program, to provide for transparency and public
feedback for evaluating a post-acute care prospective payment system
under such title, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Reducing Administrative Burden and
Becoming Increasingly Transparent Act''.
SEC. 2. DIRECTING THE SECRETARY OF HUMAN SERVICES TO SOLICIT
INFORMATION FROM PROVIDERS AND SUPPLIERS OF SERVICES ON
WAYS TO REDUCE ADMINISTRATIVE AND REGULATORY BURDENS
UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.
(a) Part A.--Section 1816 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395h) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(l) Reduction of Administrative and Regulatory Burdens.--
``(1) In general.--
``(A) Public input.--Each year (beginning with
2019), the Secretary shall solicit input from the
public, including providers and suppliers of services
receiving payment under this part, on ways to reduce
administrative and regulatory burdens under this title
on such providers and suppliers. In soliciting input
pursuant to the previous sentence, the Secretary shall
use requests for information (which may be included as
part of rulemaking) in addition to any other methods
determined appropriate by the Secretary.
``(B) Review of input.--The Secretary shall review
input received pursuant to subparagraph (A) and
consider changes to requirements under this part
determined appropriate by the Secretary.
``(2) Updates.--For 2019 and each subsequent year, the
Secretary shall post on the public website of the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services descriptions of actions and
activities undertaken by the Secretary during such year to
reduce administrative and regulatory burdens on providers and
suppliers of services under this title, including the extent to
which input received pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) or section
1842(v)(1) was considered or addressed.''.
(b) Part B.--Section 1842 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395u) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(v) Reduction of Administrative and Regulatory Burdens.--
``(1) Public input.--Each year (beginning with 2019), the
Secretary shall solicit input from the public, including
providers and suppliers of services receiving payment under
this part, on ways to reduce administrative and regulatory
burdens under this title on such providers and suppliers. In
soliciting input pursuant to the previous sentence, the
Secretary shall use requests for information (which may be
included as part of rulemaking) in addition to any other
methods determined appropriate by the Secretary.
``(2) Review of input.--The Secretary shall review input
received pursuant to paragraph (1) and consider changes to
requirements under this part determined appropriate by the
Secretary.''.
SEC. 3. TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC FEEDBACK FOR EVALUATING MEDICARE POST-
ACUTE CARE PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM.
Section 2(b)(2) of the IMPACT Act of 2014 is amended by adding at
the end the following new subparagraph:
``(C) Transparency and public feedback for
evaluating pac prospective payment system.--
``(i) Request for information.--Beginning
during 2019, the Secretary shall use at least
one request for information (which may be
included as part of rulemaking for each PAC
payment system (as defined in subsection
(a)(2)(D) of section 1899B of the Social
Security Act)) to solicit comments from PAC
providers (as defined in subsection (a)(2)(A)
of such section) on regulatory alignment issues
with respect to such providers achieving a PAC
prospective payment system described in
subparagraph (A).
``(ii) Public disclosure of tep meeting
summaries.--Beginning during 2019, the
Secretary shall, in the case of any technical
expert panel convened pursuant to subparagraph
(A), not later than 60 days after the date of a
meeting of such panel, post on the public
website established under clause (iii) a
summary of the issues discussed during such
meeting.
``(iii) Stakeholder feedback on development
of pac prospective payment system.--Beginning
during 2019, the Secretary shall establish a
website location for the public to submit
comments related to the development and
implementation of a PAC prospective payment
system described in subparagraph (A).''.
SEC. 4. REQUIRING THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO CONDUCT
ANNUAL OPEN DOOR FORUMS WITH CERTAIN PROVIDERS OF
SERVICES UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that activities
carried out by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that
directly engage providers and suppliers of services under the Medicare
program help serve to reduce administrative burdens under such program
and ultimately lead to a more streamlined experience for Medicare
beneficiaries receiving items and services from such providers and
suppliers.
(b) Requirement.--Section 1816 of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395h), as amended by section 2(a), is further amended by adding
at the end the following new subsection:
``(m) Open Door Forums.--
``(1) In general.--Not less frequently than annually, and
with respect to each type of provider of services described in
paragraph (2), the Secretary shall conduct real-time
informational forums (either in-person or through the use of
telecommunications technology) open to the public through which
the Secretary--
``(A) provides relevant information to such
providers with respect to furnishing items and services
to individuals entitled to benefits under this part or
enrolled under part B, including applicable updates or
changes to requirements under this title associated
with furnishing such items and services; and
``(B) answers questions from such providers with
respect to furnishing such items and services or
complying with such requirements.
``(2) Applicable providers.--Providers of services
described in this paragraph are--
``(A) skilled nursing facilities;
``(B) home health agencies;
``(C) inpatient rehabilitation facilities;
``(D) long-term care hospitals; and
``(E) hospice programs.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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