Medicare Prescription Drug Legislation In The Us Senate PDF Download

The Senate and House are both actively considering major legislation to add a prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program. The bills would also establish a new MedicareAdvantage program (Medicare Advantage program in the House bills) to replace the current Medicare]Choice program. Under the newly established program, plans (largely health maintenance organizations) would be paid based on a system of bids and benchmarks, as opposed to the current law methodology of basing payments on a formula set in law. Both bills would also establish regional plans, referred to as Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans under the Senate bill and Enhanced Fee-for-Service (EFFS) plans under the House bill. Drug benefits and the new Advantage program would be administered by a new agency created under both bills. Both bills would also establish a number of provider payment adjustments, beneficiary cost-sharing adjustments, and change certain regulatory practices. On June 12, 2003, the Senate Finance Committee ordered reported S. 1, the Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003. The Senate began floor debate on the measure on June 16, 2003. The House Ways and Means Committee ordered reported H.R. 2473, the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003, on June 17, 2003. ...