I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5725 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit to Congress 
a report on the extent to which Medicare Advantage plans offered under 
part C of the Medicare program include supplemental health care benefits 
designed to treat or prevent substance use disorders. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 9, 2018 
Mr. ROSKAM (for himself, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. SHIMKUS, and Mr. RUIZ) intro-
duced 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 direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
submit to Congress a report on the extent to which 
Medicare Advantage plans offered under part C of the 
Medicare program include supplemental health care bene-
fits designed to treat or prevent substance use disorders. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Benefit Evaluation of 
Safe Treatment Act of 2018’’ or the ‘‘BEST Act of 
2018’’. 
SEC. 2. STUDYING THE AVAILABILITY OF SUPPLEMENTAL 
BENEFITS DESIGNED TO TREAT OR PREVENT 
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS UNDER MEDI-
CARE ADVANTAGE PLANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘Secretary’’) shall submit to Congress a report on the 
availability of supplemental health care benefits (as de-
scribed in section 1852(a)(3)(A) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395w–22(a)(3)(A))) designed to treat or pre-
vent substance use disorders under Medicare Advantage 
plans offered under part C of title XVIII of such Act. Such 
report shall include the analysis described in subsection 
(c) and any differences in the availability of such benefits 
under specialized MA plans for special needs individuals 
(as defined in section 1859(b)(6) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395w–28(b)(6))) offered to individuals entitled to med-
ical assistance under title XIX of such Act and other such 
Medicare Advantage plans. 
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(b) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall develop the 
report described in subsection (a) in consultation with rel-
evant stakeholders, including— 
(1) individuals entitled to benefits under part A 
or enrolled under part B of title XVIII of the Social 
Security Act; 
(2) entities who advocate on behalf of such indi-
viduals; 
(3) Medicare Advantage organizations; 
(4) pharmacy benefit managers; and 
(5) providers of services and suppliers (as such 
terms are defined in section 1861 of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x)). 
(c) CONTENTS.—The report described in subsection 
(a) shall include an analysis on the following: 
(1) The extent to which plans described in such 
subsection offer supplemental health care benefits 
relating to coverage of— 
(A) medication-assisted treatments for 
opioid use, substance use disorder counseling, 
peer recovery support services, or other forms 
of substance use disorder treatments (whether 
furnished in an inpatient or outpatient setting); 
and 
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(B) non-opioid alternatives for the treat-
ment of pain. 
(2) Challenges associated with such plans offer-
ing supplemental health care benefits relating to cov-
erage of items and services described in subpara-
graph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1). 
(3) The impact, if any, increasing the applicable 
rebate 
percentage 
determined 
under 
section 
1854(b)(1)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395w–24(b)(1)(C)) for plans offering such benefits 
relating to such coverage would have on the avail-
ability of such benefits relating to such coverage of-
fered under Medicare Advantage plans. 
(4) Potential ways to improve upon such cov-
erage or to incentivize such plans to offer additional 
supplemental health care benefits relating to such 
coverage. 
Æ 
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