United States · Bill · S
S. 3101 (110th)
Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008
Introduced
6 June 2008
Last action
12 June 2008 · Floor
Status
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure withdrawn in Senate. (consideration: CR S5564)
Sponsors
Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT], Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME], Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV], Sen. Smith, Gordon H. [R-OR], Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Subjects
Healthcare, Defence, Taxation, Education
Source updated
21 January 2026
Healthcare · Defence · Taxation · Education
Summary
Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for coverage of additional preventive services. Provides for gradual elimination of copayment rates for Medicare psychiatric services. Places prohibitions and limitations on certain sales and marketing activities under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and prescription drug plans. Requires offering of a range of Medicare supplemental policies. Extends the qualifying individual program. Provides for application of a full low-income subsidy assets test under the Medicare Savings Program. Eliminates Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) late enrollment penalties paid by subsidy-eligible individuals. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to states for state health insurance assistance programs, area agencies on aging, and aging and disability resource centers. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to states for increasing the delivery of mental health services or other health care services to meet the needs of veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom living in rural areas. Permits rebasing for sole community hospitals. Directs the Secretary to establish a demonstration project for development and testing of new community health integration models in certain rural counties. Amends the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, to extend through FY2009 the reclassification of certain hospitals. Increases physicians' payments. Revises requirements for and extends the quality reporting system, including incentive payments. Directs the Secretary to establish a Physician Feedback Program. Provides for: (1) incentives for electronic prescribing of medicine; (2) expanded access to primary care services; (3) extension of the floor on Medicare work geographic adjustment under the Medicare physician fee schedule; and (4) an accreditation requirement for advanced diagnostic imaging services. Revises requirements for Medicare anesthesia teaching programs. Makes permanent the exception to the 60-day limit on Medicare reciprocal billing arrangements between two physicians over a longer continuous period during all of which one of them is ordered to active duty as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces. Provides for coverage of pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation. Revises payment rules for power-driven wheelchairs. Extends increased Medicare payments for ground ambulance services. Amends the Public Health Services Act to direct the Secretary to establish pilot projects with respect to chronic kidney disease. Revises requirements for renal dialysis. Provides for phase-out of indirect costs of medical education from capitation rates. Revises requirements for MA private fee-for-service plans as well as MA plans for special needs individuals. Modifies requirements for quality improvement programs. Requires prompt payment of clean claims by prescription drug plans and MA-Prescription Drug plans under Medicare part D. Revises the definition of medically accepted indication for drugs. Directs the Secretary to: (1) contract with a consensus-based entity for certain activities relating to health care performance measurement; and (2) evaluate and report to Congress on approaches for the collection of data regarding health care disparities. Creates the Medicare Improvement Fund. Extends the transitional medical assistance (TMA), the abstinence education program, and allotments for disproportionate share hospitals (DSHs) under SSA title XIX (Medicaid). Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to extend supplemental grants under SSA title IV part D (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF). Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend special diabetes grant programs.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
6 June 2008
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time. Pursuant to the order of the Senate of June 6, 2008.
Source: Calendars
6 June 2008
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
Source: IntroReferral
9 June 2008
Calendars
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 772.
Source: Calendars
10 June 2008
Floor
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (consideration: CR S5431)
Source: Floor
11 June 2008
Introduced
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5467-5468)
Source: IntroReferral
12 June 2008
Floor
Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (consideration: CR S5539-5564)
Source: Floor
Votes
No vote records are attached yet.
Versions
- Placed on Calendar Senate · 9 June 2008 · Download file
Documents
3 official files
Placed on Calendar Senate (text)
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Placed on Calendar Senate (text)
Placed on Calendar Senate · EN · 9 June 2008
Placed on Calendar Senate (PDF)
Placed on Calendar Senate · EN · 9 June 2008
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Introduced in Senate
summary · EN · 6 June 2008
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Sponsors
- Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Smith, Gordon H. [R-OR] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM] · D · Cosponsor
Related records
- related to → Medicare Efficiency and Development of Improvement of Care and Services Act (MEDICS Act) of 2008
- related to → Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008
- amends ← SAMDT 4980
- amends ← SAMDT 4981
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/senate-bill/3101
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/110/s/3101
- us · 110-s-3101 · source updated 21 January 2026