US Congress House Bill 1650 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 32-0)
Status: Introduced on March 26 2015 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2015-04-07 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Pending: House Subcommittee on Health Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Medicare Patient Empowerment Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow any Medicare beneficiary to enter into a contract with an eligible professional (regardless of whether a participating or non-participating physician or practitioner) for any item or service covered by Medicare. Allows such beneficiaries to submit a claim for Medicare payment in the amount that would otherwise apply, except that where the professional is considered to be non-participating, payment shall be paid as if the professional were participating. Defines eligible professional as a physician, a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, a certified registered nurse anesthetist, a certified nurse-midwife, a clinical social worker, a clinical psychologist, a clinical psychologist, a physical or or occupational therapist or a qualified speech-language pathologist, or a qualified audiologist. Requires a Medicare beneficiary to agree in writing in such a contract to: (1) pay the eligible professional for a Medicare-covered item or service; and (2) submit (in lieu of the eligible professional) a claim for Medicare payment. Allows a beneficiary, however, to negotiate, as a term of the contract, for the eligible professional to file such claims on the beneficiary's behalf. Preempts state laws from limiting the amount of charges for physician and practitioner services for which Medicare payment is made.

Medicare Patient Empowerment Act of 2015

Rep. Tom Price [R-GA]	Rep. Michael Burgess [R-TX]	Rep. Patrick Tiberi [R-OH]	Rep. Andy Harris [R-MD]
Rep. Pete Sessions [R-TX]	Rep. David Roe [R-TN]	Rep. Larry Bucshon [R-IN]	Rep. Mike Kelly [R-PA]
Rep. Doug Lamborn [R-CO]	Rep. Kenny Marchant [R-TX]	Rep. Mick Mulvaney [R-SC]	Rep. Jeb Hensarling [R-TX]
Rep. Richard Hanna [R-NY]	Rep. Brian Babin [R-TX]	Rep. Jeff Duncan [R-SC]	Rep. Bill Flores [R-TX]
Rep. Joe Wilson [R-SC]	Rep. Gregg Harper [R-MS]	Rep. Earl Carter [R-GA]	Rep. Walter Jones [R-NC]
Rep. Pete Olson [R-TX]	Rep. Rick Allen [R-GA]	Rep. Mike Bishop [R-MI]	Rep. Scott DesJarlais [R-TN]
Rep. Robert Wittman [R-VA]	Rep. Bill Johnson [R-OH]	Rep. Leonard Lance [R-NJ]	Rep. Scott Tipton [R-CO]
Rep. Rob Woodall [R-GA]	Rep. Erik Paulsen [R-MN]	Sen. Kevin Cramer [R-ND]	Rep. David Trott [R-MI]

Date	Chamber	Action
2015-04-07	House	Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
2015-03-27	House	Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
2015-03-26	House	Referred to House Ways and Means
2015-03-26	House	Referred to House Energy and Commerce
2015-03-26	House	Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.
2015-03-26	House	Introduced in House

HB2300 (Related) 2015-11-16 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
SB1849 (Same As) 2015-07-23 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
SB2519 (Related) 2016-02-09 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S740-741)

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1650/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr1650/BILLS-114hr1650ih.pdf