Bill > HR6184

This bill, the Medicare Enrollment Protection Act, aims to create a special enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries who are transitioning from COBRA continuation coverage, which is temporary health insurance that allows individuals to continue their employer-sponsored health plan after leaving their job. Specifically, it allows individuals who were enrolled in COBRA when they first became eligible for Medicare, or who enrolled in COBRA after turning 65 and were previously eligible for Medicare, to enroll in Medicare during a special period that lasts as long as they are covered by COBRA, with this special enrollment only being available once in a lifetime. The bill also clarifies that coverage under this special enrollment period will begin on the first day of the month following enrollment, and importantly, it prevents individuals from facing increased Medicare premiums due to this enrollment, even if they had previously delayed enrolling in Medicare while on COBRA. Furthermore, it requires employers to update their COBRA notices to explain how Medicare secondary payer rules, which determine when Medicare pays for healthcare costs before other insurance, apply to COBRA coverage.