Bill > HR1310

This bill, the Medicare Patient Empowerment Act of 2013, would allow any individual eligible for Medicare benefits to directly contract with a qualified healthcare provider (referred to as an "eligible professional") for any Medicare-covered service. Under this arrangement, the Medicare beneficiary would agree in writing to pay the provider directly and would be responsible for submitting the claim to Medicare for reimbursement, receiving the same payment amount as if a participating physician had filed it. However, the contract could also stipulate that the provider files the claim on the beneficiary's behalf. This bill also preempts state laws that limit the charges for physician and practitioner services for which Medicare makes payments, meaning states could not impose their own caps on these charges. Importantly, this new contracting option would not apply to individuals who are also eligible for Medicaid (dual eligible individuals) or during emergency medical conditions or urgent health care situations.