Medicare Common Access Card Act of 2017

Medicare Common Access Card Act of 2017

This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish a three-year pilot program, in at least three geographic areas, to demonstrate the feasibility of using smart-card technology to authenticate the identity of a Medicare beneficiary at points of service. The CMS shall select supplier and provider types that will be required to participate in the pilot program as a condition of Medicare payment, but must exempt from participation a supplier or provider that: (1) does not have access to card-reader technology, (2) does not have sufficient internet access, or (3) has a low volume of Medicare claims. The CMS shall select a private contractor to implement and operate the pilot program.

The CMS must submit specified reports to Congress on program design, implementation, and performance.

For purposes of conducting the pilot program, the CMS shall provide for the transfer of $150 million from the Supplemental Medical Insurance Trust Fund to the CMS Program Management Account.