Medicare Patient Empowerment Act

Summary

Medicare Patient Empowerment Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow any Medicare beneficiary to enter into a contract with a non-participating (as well as with a 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 if the claim had been filed by a participating physician or practitioner in the payment area where the physician or practitioner covered by the contract resides. Requires a Medicare beneficiary to agree in writing in such a contract to: (1) pay the physician or practitioner for a Medicare-covered item or service; and (2) submit (in lieu of the physician or practitioner) a claim for Medicare payment. Allows a beneficiary, however, to negotiate, as a term of the contract, for the physician or practitioner 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.

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Timeline

1. 23 May 2011

   Introduced

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 23 May 2011

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in Senate · 23 May 2011 · Official file

Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 23 May 2011

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate (PDF)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 23 May 2011

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 23 May 2011

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Lisa Murkowski · R · Sponsor
• Sen. DeMint, Jim [R-SC] · R · Cosponsor
• Rand Paul · R · Cosponsor
• · ssfi00 · Standing

Related records

• related to → Medicare Patient Empowerment Act