Tiberi and Levin Introduce Legislation to Reauthorize Medicare Special Needs Plans

Reps. Tiberi and Levin Introduce Legislation to Reauthorize Medicare Special Needs Plans

July 6, 2017

Tiberi.House.Gov

Washington, D.C.-- Today, Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Pat Tiberi (R-OH) and Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) introduced legislation to reauthorize Medicare Special Needs Plans (SNPs) and improve the quality of care for vulnerable seniors and patients living in poverty or with a chronic illness. The legislation reauthorizes Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs) and Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) for 5 years, representing the longest reauthorization since the creation of SNPs, and makes Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs) permanent for the first time.

"SNPs offer targeted, coordinated care to some of the frailest and sickest beneficiaries in the Medicare program. Our bipartisan legislation will provide the certainty these patients need to access the quality care they rely on over the long term," said Tiberi. "While Congress has routinely reauthorized SNPs every two to three years, this legislation puts the SNP program on a stronger and more permanent path. The main goals of this legislation are to increase transparency, incentivize and reward care coordination and efficiency, and improve quality and health outcomes for our most vulnerable seniors. I would like to thank Ranking Member Levin for his support and I look forward to the Committee's continued work on other bipartisan solutions to strengthen the Medicare program for our nation's seniors."

"Special Needs Plans aim to improve care for certain Medicare beneficiaries, including those who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, as well as other vulnerable groups," said Levin. "This legislation follows a number of recommendations from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to extend and reform these plans with the goal of coordinating care and improving quality for special needs populations."

CLICK at: https://tiberi.house.gov/UploadedFiles/SNPReauthTiberiLevin.pdf to read H.R. 3168.

Note: On June 7, 2017, the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee held a bipartisan hearing entitled "Promoting Integrated and Coordinated Care for Medicare Beneficiaries." Members examined specific, targeted programs - such as SNPs- and discussed how value-based insurance design can strengthen Medicare Advantage (MA) programs by delivering quality, coordinated care to patients while reducing health care costs.

Olivia Hnat

Communications Director

Congressman Pat Tiberi (OH-12)

Tiberi.House.Gov/newsroom

(202) 225-5355