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HR 2570 114th Congress House

Strengthening Medicare Advantage through Innovation and Transparency for Seniors of 2015

Official title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act with respect to the treatment of patient encounters in ambulatory surgical centers in determining meaningful EH… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act with respect to the treatment of patient encounters in ambulatory surgical centers in determining meaningful EHR use, establish a demonstration program requiring the utilization of Value-Based Insurance Design to demonstrate that reducing the copayments or coinsurance charged to Medicare beneficiaries for selected high-value prescription medications and clinical services can increase their utilization and ultimately improve clinical outcomes and lower health care expenditures, and for other purposes.

Introduced: May 22, 2015 See on congress.gov
Health Health care costs and insuranceHealth care qualityHealth information and medical recordsHealth technology, devices, supplies
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Home and outpatient careMedicarePrescription drugsSurgery and anesthesia
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This bill died when the 114th Congress ended
It never became law before the 114th Congress (2015–2016) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 12 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 18, 2015
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Jun 17, 2015
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Jun 17, 2015
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
Jun 17, 2015
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4479-4480)
Jun 17, 2015
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H4479-4480)
Jun 17, 2015
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2570.
Jun 17, 2015
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4479-4481)
Jun 17, 2015
Mr. Brady (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Jun 3, 2015
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
May 29, 2015
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
May 22, 2015
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
May 22, 2015
Introduced in House
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 Latest action June 18, 2015

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Strengthening Medicare Advantage through Innovation and Transparency for Seniors Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) with respect to criteria for qualifying as a meaningful user of electronic health records (meaningful EHR user). For any payment year after 2015 any patient encounter of an eligible professional occurring at an eligible ambulatory surgical center shall not be treated as one in determining whether an eligible professional qualifies as a meaningful EHR user.

(Sec. 3) HHS shall establish a three-year demonstration program to test the use of value-based insurance design methodologies under the eligible Medicare Advantage (MA) plans offered by MA organizations under Medicare part C.

"Value-based insurance design methodology" is one for identifying specific prescription medications, and clinical services payable under Medicare, for which copayments, coinsurance, or both would improve the management of specific chronic clinical conditions because of the high value and effectiveness of such medications and services for such specific chronic clinical conditions, as approved by HHS.

HHS may expand the duration and scope of the demonstration program to an appropriate extent if specified requirements are met.

(Sec. 4) Payment amounts are prescribed for infusion drugs and biologicals furnished through durable medical equipment (DME) on or after January 1, 2017.

(Sec. 5) It is the sense of Congress that HHS:

  • has incorrectly interpreted the determination of blended benchmark amounts as prohibiting the provision of any Medicare quality incentive payments with respect to MA plans that exceed the payment benchmark cap for the area served by those plans; and
  • should immediately apply quality incentive payments with respect to such MA plans without regard to limits.

(Sec. 6) $220 million shall be available to the Medicare Improvement Fund during and after FY2020.

(Sec. 7) DME competitive acquisition programs shall not cover infusion drugs and biologicals.

 Related & companion bills 2
  • HR 2581 Related bill Preservation of Access for Seniors in Medicare Advantage Act of 2015
  • S 1396 Related bill Value-Based Insurance Design Seniors Copayment Reduction Act of 2015
 Bill text 3 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 5
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2570: Strengthening Medicare Advantage through Innovation and Transparency for Seniors of 2015. 114th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-2570/
MLA
"H.R. 2570: Strengthening Medicare Advantage through Innovation and Transparency for Seniors of 2015." 114th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-2570/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2570, 114th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-2570/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2570: Strengthening Medicare Advantage through Innovation and Transparency for Seniors of 2015](https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-2570/)
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