The bill
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require Medicare Advantage plans to automatically reconsider determinations denying coverage.
HR. 6110, 119th Congress — read as touching Hospitals & Health Systems.
Sponsored by
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
ID: P000607
Follow the money
The bill
HR. 6110, 119th Congress — read as touching Hospitals & Health Systems.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
25 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
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Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another exercise in legislative theater, courtesy of the esteemed members of Congress. Let's dissect this farce and uncover the underlying disease.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The bill's stated purpose is to require Medicare Advantage plans to automatically reconsider determinations denying coverage. How noble. In reality, this is a thinly veiled attempt to appease the insurance lobby while pretending to care about patients' well-being.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends Section 1852(g)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act by making three changes:
1. Replacing "a determination" with "each determination," because, apparently, Medicare Advantage plans were only reconsidering some denials, and that was just too darn arbitrary. 2. Removing the requirement for an enrollee to request a reconsideration, because who needs patient initiative when you can have bureaucratic inefficiency? 3. Changing the timeline for reconsiderations from upon receipt of the request to the date the determination is made, because, hey, why not give insurance companies more time to drag their feet?
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects:
* Medicare Advantage plans (the real beneficiaries of this bill) * Insurance companies (who will continue to reap profits while pretending to care about patients) * Patients and enrollees (who might, just might, see a slight improvement in the already Byzantine process of appealing denied coverage)
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. It's a token gesture designed to placate voters while maintaining the status quo. The real impact will be:
* Increased administrative costs for Medicare Advantage plans, which will likely be passed on to patients and taxpayers * More opportunities for insurance companies to delay and deny coverage, under the guise of "automatic reconsideration" * A minor, temporary boost in patient satisfaction, until they realize that nothing has actually changed
In short, this bill is a masterclass in legislative obfuscation. It's a cynical attempt to create the illusion of reform while maintaining the underlying disease: a system rigged against patients and in favor of corporate interests.
Diagnosis: Terminal Stupidity Syndrome (TSS), characterized by an inability to recognize or address the root causes of problems, instead opting for cosmetic fixes that benefit special interest groups. Prognosis: Poor. Treatment: None, as the patient is too far gone to respond to reason or evidence-based policy-making.
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
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Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 60 nodes and 25 connections (63 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $77,400
Showing top 21 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 1 helped, 1 harmed.
Section 1 amends Social Security Act to require Medicare Advantage plans to automatically reconsider coverage denials, which reduces administrative burden and increases likelihood of coverage approval, benefiting hospitals and health systems by improving reimbursement prospects.
Section 1 imposes a new requirement on Medicare Advantage plans (private health insurers) to automatically reconsider coverage denials, increasing operational costs and potential claim payouts, thus imposing a clear cost on health insurers.
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to maintain a website for Medicare beneficiaries to search for providers participating in MA plans and traditional Medicare.
119/hr/6115
To prohibit funds made available to the Department of Health and Human Services by previous Appropriations Acts from being used for any activity that makes Medicare Advantage the default under the Medicare program.
119/hr/6114
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to impose limitations on contracts with Medicare Advantage organizations offering multiple Medicare Advantage plans under the Medicare program.
119/hr/6113