This month, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., paired up once again with U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wisc., to unveil a proposal closing gaps in Medicare coverage.
Bilirakis’ and Kind’s bill--which they dubbed the “Provide Accurate Information Directly (PAID) Act”--changes the current the Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) statute to add clarity on how it is applied with Medicare Advantage (MA), Medicare Part D and Medicaid which will, according to Bilirakis’ office, “beneficiaries who are parties to third-party settlements — such as in a tort case, workers compensation claim, or auto insurance payment — with improved access to the care for which they are entitled.”
When he showcased the bill last week, Bilirakis insisted it could help hundreds of thousands of Americans.
“Whether they know it or not, each year hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries and companies across the country are hampered by outdated federal policies,” Bilirakis said. “The inability to obtain basic information about MSP liabilities hinders participants’ ability to retain access to proper care and quickly resolve medical liability settlements.
“This legislation will ensure that beneficiaries, Medicare, and Medicaid have a clear and quick way to identify whether or not a participant has an MSP obligation, and provide information about how that obligation can be resolved. The PAID Act represents a ‘win-win-win’ for beneficiaries, plans, and the federal taxpayer,” Bilirakis added.
“Congress can save significant money for taxpayers and drive a better coordination of benefits if it mandates the sharing of certain information between CMS and settling parties,” said Kind. “If settling parties are simply provided with basic plan information, they will be able to quickly repay liabilities associated with settlements, judgments, or awards.”
The bill has been sent to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce and the Ways and Means Committees. U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., part of the House leadership as senior deputy majority whip and who is not running for another term this year, is also cosponsoring the bill.
The two congressmen have worked before in tackling Medicare issues. Back in 2012, they were behind the “Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayer (SMART) Act” to streamline the process for Medicare claims and helping beneficiaries receive their funds.
Both congressmen said their new proposal will build on the SMART Act.
“Since it became law in 2013, the SMART Act has drastically improved ‘secondary payer’ laws to provide greater fairness for beneficiaries who were trapped in a confusing maze of bureaucracy,” Kind said.
“This new legislation, built to augment the SMART Act, will bring additional efficiencies to federal health care programs that will benefit beneficiaries, taxpayers, and employers,” Bilirakis insisted.
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