For more programmatic information, please see reports published by the Congressional Research Service.
CRS works exclusively for the United States Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to Committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation.
The following provides a brief legislative history for Medicare from the prior Green Book through most of the 115th Congress. For prior legislative history, please see prior editions of the Green Book.
The summary highlights major legislation; it is not a comprehensive list of all Medicare or health related tax amendments. Included are provisions that had a significant budget impact, changed program benefits, modified beneficiary cost sharing, or involved major program reforms. Provisions involving policy changes are mentioned the first time they are incorporated in legislation, but not necessarily every time a modification is made.
Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-62)
Amended the Medicare IVIG Access and Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers Act of 2012 to extend through 2020 the Medicare Patient Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) Demonstration Project to provide payments to Medicare beneficiaries for items and services needed for the in-home administration of IVIG for the treatment of primary immune deficiency diseases.
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-123)
Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-262)
Prohibits a prescription drug plan under Medicare or Medicare Advantage from restricting a pharmacy from informing an enrollee of any difference between the price, copayment, or coinsurance of a drug under the plan and a lower price of the drug without health-insurance coverage. (Such restrictions are commonly referred to as gag clauses.)
Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act or the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (P.L. 115-271)
Medicare Budgeting and Payments
On November 15, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services posted the 2025 spousal…
The word disability doesn't have the same meaning in all contexts. If you have a…
On October 10, 2024, the Social Security Administration announced that Americans will increase a 2.5…
Many people think that estate planning is just having documents prepared. They have a lawyer…
In Chambers v. Edwards, 365 Ga. App. 482 (2022), William Chambers sued his sister, Kathy…
When an injured party sues someone who negligently injured him or her, one form of…