H.R. 2507 would change the schedule by which the Secretary of Health and Human Services announces proposed and final updates to program rules for the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D programs. Under current law, the Secretary is required to announce final program rules for the following calendar year not later than the first Monday in April. The Secretary also is required to issue an advance notice of proposed changes at least 45 days before making the final announcement.
Beginning in 2017, H.R. 2507 would require the Secretary to announce payment changes before April 1 for the upcoming year and to issue the advance notice of those changes at least 60 days before making the final announcement. Additionally, beginning in 2017, the legislation would provide for a period of at least 30 days during which stakeholders could comment on proposed changes included in the advance notice.
Changing the schedule by which the Secretary announces program rules would not change the calculations used to determine payments to insurance plans participating in Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D. Thus, CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2507 would not have a significant budgetary effect. Because enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
H.R. 2507 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local or tribal governments.
