Committee approves four Medicare-related bills

The House Ways and Means Committee yesterday approved legislation (H.R. 6690) that would establish a three-year pilot program to test using smart card technology to combat Medicare fraud and protect beneficiary identity. The committee also approved legislation that would codify the process by which Medicare administrative contractors make local coverage determinations for their regions (H.R. 3635); codify a regulation allowing non-deemed Medicare Cost Plan enrollees to take advantage of the special enrollment period offered to deemed enrollees (H.R. 6662); and direct the Department of Health and Human Services to finalize regulations this year for the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (H.R. 6561).