Government affairs

Legislative Updates

House Ways and Means marks up Medicare bill with mailing provision

Following its introduction last week by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) and Ranking Member (R-TX), the committee held a business meeting today to mark up the bipartisan Beneficiary Education Tools Telehealth Extender Reauthorization (BETTER) Act of 2019 (H.R. 3417) among other pieces of important health legislation.

The BETTER Act seeks to improve the quality of and access to services for qualified Medicare beneficiaries. Additionally, it looks to protect low-income beneficiaries by limiting delays at pharmacy counters as well as provided clarity on prescription drug pricing.

Of note, it also includes a provision stating the Social Security Administration must reinstate the mailing of printed Social Security Statements to eligible wage earners. This could prove beneficial to the Postal Service through the increased revenue of such mailings.

NALC will continue to monitor the bill’s progression to keep its members up to date.

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