I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7248 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary 

of Human Services to solicit information from providers and suppliers 

of services on ways to reduce administrative and regulatory burdens 

under the Medicare program, to provide for transparency and public 

feedback for evaluating a post-acute care prospective payment system 

under such title, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 11, 2018 

Mr. MARCHANT (for himself and Ms. SEWELL of Alabama) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, 

and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to direct 

the Secretary of Human Services to solicit information 

from providers and suppliers of services on ways to reduce administrative and regulatory burdens under the 

Medicare program, to provide for transparency and public feedback for evaluating a post-acute care prospective 

payment system under such title, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
2 

•HR 7248 IH

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reducing Administra3 tive Burden and Becoming Increasingly Transparent 

4 Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. DIRECTING THE SECRETARY OF HUMAN SERVICES 

6 TO SOLICIT INFORMATION FROM PROVIDERS 

7 AND SUPPLIERS OF SERVICES ON WAYS TO 

8 REDUCE ADMINISTRATIVE AND REGULATORY 

9 BURDENS UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM. 

10 (a) PART A.—Section 1816 of the Social Security Act 

11 (42 U.S.C. 1395h) is amended by adding at the end the 

12 following new subsection: 

13 ‘‘(l) REDUCTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND REGU14 LATORY BURDENS.— 

15 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 

16 ‘‘(A) PUBLIC INPUT.—Each year (begin17 ning with 2019), the Secretary shall solicit 

18 input from the public, including providers and 

19 suppliers of services receiving payment under 

20 this part, on ways to reduce administrative and 

21 regulatory burdens under this title on such pro22 viders and suppliers. In soliciting input pursu23 ant to the previous sentence, the Secretary shall 

24 use requests for information (which may be in25 cluded as part of rulemaking) in addition to any 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
3 

•HR 7248 IH

1 other methods determined appropriate by the 

2 Secretary. 

3 ‘‘(B) REVIEW OF INPUT.—The Secretary 

4 shall review input received pursuant to subpara5 graph (A) and consider changes to require6 ments under this part determined appropriate 

7 by the Secretary. 

8 ‘‘(2) UPDATES.—For 2019 and each subse9 quent year, the Secretary shall post on the public 

10 website of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

11 Services descriptions of actions and activities under12 taken by the Secretary during such year to reduce 

13 administrative and regulatory burdens on providers 

14 and suppliers of services under this title, including 

15 the extent to which input received pursuant to para16 graph (1)(A) or section 1842(v)(1) was considered 

17 or addressed.’’. 

18 (b) PART B.—Section 1842 of the Social Security Act 

19 (42 U.S.C. 1395u) is amended by adding at the end the 

20 following new subsection: 

21 ‘‘(v) REDUCTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND REGU22 LATORY BURDENS.— 

23 ‘‘(1) PUBLIC INPUT.—Each year (beginning 

24 with 2019), the Secretary shall solicit input from the 

25 public, including providers and suppliers of services 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
4 

•HR 7248 IH

1 receiving payment under this part, on ways to re2 duce administrative and regulatory burdens under 

3 this title on such providers and suppliers. In solic4 iting input pursuant to the previous sentence, the 

5 Secretary shall use requests for information (which 

6 may be included as part of rulemaking) in addition 

7 to any other methods determined appropriate by the 

8 Secretary. 

9 ‘‘(2) REVIEW OF INPUT.—The Secretary shall 

10 review input received pursuant to paragraph (1) and 

11 consider changes to requirements under this part de12 termined appropriate by the Secretary.’’. 

13 SEC. 3. TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC FEEDBACK FOR EVAL14 UATING MEDICARE POST-ACUTE CARE PRO15 SPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM. 

16 Section 2(b)(2) of the IMPACT Act of 2014 is 

17 amended by adding at the end the following new subpara18 graph: 

19 ‘‘(C) TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC FEED20 BACK FOR EVALUATING PAC PROSPECTIVE PAY21 MENT SYSTEM.— 

22 ‘‘(i) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION.— 

23 Beginning during 2019, the Secretary shall 

24 use at least one request for information 

25 (which may be included as part of ruleVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:05 Dec 13, 2018 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7248.IH H7248

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
5 

•HR 7248 IH

1 making for each PAC payment system (as 

2 defined in subsection (a)(2)(D) of section 

3 1899B of the Social Security Act)) to so4 licit comments from PAC providers (as de5 fined in subsection (a)(2)(A) of such sec6 tion) on regulatory alignment issues with 

7 respect to such providers achieving a PAC 

8 prospective payment system described in 

9 subparagraph (A). 

10 ‘‘(ii) PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF TEP

11 MEETING SUMMARIES.—Beginning during 

12 2019, the Secretary shall, in the case of 

13 any technical expert panel convened pursu14 ant to subparagraph (A), not later than 60 

15 days after the date of a meeting of such 

16 panel, post on the public website estab17 lished under clause (iii) a summary of the 

18 issues discussed during such meeting. 

19 ‘‘(iii) STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK ON

20 DEVELOPMENT OF PAC PROSPECTIVE PAY21 MENT SYSTEM.—Beginning during 2019, 

22 the Secretary shall establish a website loca23 tion for the public to submit comments re24 lated to the development and implementaVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:05 Dec 13, 2018 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7248.IH H7248

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
6 

•HR 7248 IH

1 tion of a PAC prospective payment system 

2 described in subparagraph (A).’’. 

3 SEC. 4. REQUIRING THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND 

4 HUMAN SERVICES TO CONDUCT ANNUAL 

5 OPEN DOOR FORUMS WITH CERTAIN PRO6 VIDERS OF SERVICES UNDER THE MEDICARE 

7 PROGRAM. 

8 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con9 gress that activities carried out by the Centers for Medi10 care & Medicaid Services that directly engage providers 

11 and suppliers of services under the Medicare program help 

12 serve to reduce administrative burdens under such pro13 gram and ultimately lead to a more streamlined experience 

14 for Medicare beneficiaries receiving items and services 

15 from such providers and suppliers. 

16 (b) REQUIREMENT.—Section 1816 of the Social Se17 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395h), as amended by section 2(a), 

18 is further amended by adding at the end the following new 

19 subsection: 

20 ‘‘(m) OPEN DOOR FORUMS.— 

21 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than 

22 annually, and with respect to each type of provider 

23 of services described in paragraph (2), the Secretary 

24 shall conduct real-time informational forums (either 

25 in-person or through the use of telecommunications 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
7 

•HR 7248 IH

1 technology) open to the public through which the 

2 Secretary— 

3 ‘‘(A) provides relevant information to such 

4 providers with respect to furnishing items and 

5 services to individuals entitled to benefits under 

6 this part or enrolled under part B, including 

7 applicable updates or changes to requirements 

8 under this title associated with furnishing such 

9 items and services; and 

10 ‘‘(B) answers questions from such pro11 viders with respect to furnishing such items and 

12 services or complying with such requirements. 

13 ‘‘(2) APPLICABLE PROVIDERS.—Providers of 

14 services described in this paragraph are— 

15 ‘‘(A) skilled nursing facilities; 

16 ‘‘(B) home health agencies; 

17 ‘‘(C) inpatient rehabilitation facilities; 

18 ‘‘(D) long-term care hospitals; and 

19 ‘‘(E) hospice programs.’’. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS