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 fol-
lowing 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 consider-
ation 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 re-
duce administrative and regulatory burdens under the 
Medicare program, to provide for transparency and pub-
lic feedback for evaluating a post-acute care prospective 
payment system under such title, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Reducing Administra-
tive Burden and Becoming Increasingly Transparent 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DIRECTING 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. 
(a) PART A.—Section 1816 of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395h) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(l) REDUCTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND REGU-
LATORY BURDENS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(A) PUBLIC INPUT.—Each year (begin-
ning with 2019), the Secretary shall solicit 
input from the public, including providers and 
suppliers of services receiving payment under 
this part, on ways to reduce administrative and 
regulatory burdens under this title on such pro-
viders and suppliers. In soliciting input pursu-
ant to the previous sentence, the Secretary shall 
use requests for information (which may be in-
cluded as part of rulemaking) in addition to any 
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other methods determined appropriate by the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(B) REVIEW OF INPUT.—The Secretary 
shall review input received pursuant to subpara-
graph (A) and consider changes to require-
ments under this part determined appropriate 
by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) UPDATES.—For 2019 and each subse-
quent year, the Secretary shall post on the public 
website of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services descriptions of actions and activities under-
taken by the Secretary during such year to reduce 
administrative and regulatory burdens on providers 
and suppliers of services under this title, including 
the extent to which input received pursuant to para-
graph (1)(A) or section 1842(v)(1) was considered 
or addressed.’’. 
(b) PART B.—Section 1842 of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395u) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(v) REDUCTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND REGU-
LATORY BURDENS.— 
‘‘(1) PUBLIC
INPUT.—Each year (beginning 
with 2019), the Secretary shall solicit input from the 
public, including providers and suppliers of services 
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receiving payment under this part, on ways to re-
duce administrative and regulatory burdens under 
this title on such providers and suppliers. In solic-
iting input pursuant to the previous sentence, the 
Secretary shall use requests for information (which 
may be included as part of rulemaking) in addition 
to any other methods determined appropriate by the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(2) REVIEW OF INPUT.—The Secretary shall 
review input received pursuant to paragraph (1) and 
consider changes to requirements under this part de-
termined appropriate by the Secretary.’’. 
SEC. 3. TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC FEEDBACK FOR EVAL-
UATING MEDICARE POST-ACUTE CARE PRO-
SPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM. 
Section 2(b)(2) of the IMPACT Act of 2014 is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subpara-
graph: 
‘‘(C) TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC FEED-
BACK FOR EVALUATING PAC PROSPECTIVE PAY-
MENT SYSTEM.— 
‘‘(i) REQUEST
FOR
INFORMATION.— 
Beginning during 2019, the Secretary shall 
use at least one request for information 
(which may be included as part of rule-
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making for each PAC payment system (as 
defined in subsection (a)(2)(D) of section 
1899B of the Social Security Act)) to so-
licit comments from PAC providers (as de-
fined in subsection (a)(2)(A) of such sec-
tion) on regulatory alignment issues with 
respect to such providers achieving a PAC 
prospective payment system described in 
subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(ii) PUBLIC
DISCLOSURE
OF
TEP 
MEETING
SUMMARIES.—Beginning during 
2019, the Secretary shall, in the case of 
any technical expert panel convened pursu-
ant to subparagraph (A), not later than 60 
days after the date of a meeting of such 
panel, post on the public website estab-
lished under clause (iii) a summary of the 
issues discussed during such meeting. 
‘‘(iii) STAKEHOLDER
FEEDBACK
ON 
DEVELOPMENT OF PAC PROSPECTIVE PAY-
MENT
SYSTEM.—Beginning during 2019, 
the Secretary shall establish a website loca-
tion for the public to submit comments re-
lated to the development and implementa-
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tion of a PAC prospective payment system 
described in subparagraph (A).’’. 
SEC. 4. REQUIRING THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND 
HUMAN SERVICES TO CONDUCT ANNUAL 
OPEN DOOR FORUMS WITH CERTAIN PRO-
VIDERS OF SERVICES UNDER THE MEDICARE 
PROGRAM. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that activities carried out by the Centers for Medi-
care & Medicaid Services that directly engage providers 
and suppliers of services under the Medicare program help 
serve to reduce administrative burdens under such pro-
gram and ultimately lead to a more streamlined experience 
for Medicare beneficiaries receiving items and services 
from such providers and suppliers. 
(b) REQUIREMENT.—Section 1816 of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395h), as amended by section 2(a), 
is further amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(m) OPEN DOOR FORUMS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than 
annually, and with respect to each type of provider 
of services described in paragraph (2), the Secretary 
shall conduct real-time informational forums (either 
in-person or through the use of telecommunications 
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technology) open to the public through which the 
Secretary— 
‘‘(A) provides relevant information to such 
providers with respect to furnishing items and 
services to individuals entitled to benefits under 
this part or enrolled under part B, including 
applicable updates or changes to requirements 
under this title associated with furnishing such 
items and services; and 
‘‘(B) answers questions from such pro-
viders with respect to furnishing such items and 
services or complying with such requirements. 
‘‘(2) APPLICABLE
PROVIDERS.—Providers of 
services described in this paragraph are— 
‘‘(A) skilled nursing facilities; 
‘‘(B) home health agencies; 
‘‘(C) inpatient rehabilitation facilities; 
‘‘(D) long-term care hospitals; and 
‘‘(E) hospice programs.’’. 
Æ 
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