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H.R. 3417 116th Congress House

BETTER Act of 2019

Official title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for patient improvements and rural and quality improvements under the Medicare program.

Introduced: June 21, 2019 Introduced by: Richard E. Neal Democratic · Massachusetts See on congress.gov
Health Administrative remediesAgingCongressional oversightDepartment of Health and Human Services
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Disability assistanceEducation programs fundingExecutive agency funding and structureGovernment trust fundsHealth care costs and insuranceHealth care qualityHealth facilities and institutionsHealth information and medical recordsHealth personnelHealth programs administration and fundingHealth promotion and preventive careHealth technology, devices, suppliesHome and outpatient careLong-term, rehabilitative, and terminal careMedical educationMedical tests and diagnostic methodsMedicareMental healthNursingPerformance measurementPoverty and welfare assistancePrescription drugsPublic contracts and procurementPublic-private cooperationState and local financeState and local government operationsUser charges and fees
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This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) 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 8 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 24, 2020
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 574.
Dec 24, 2020
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.
Dec 24, 2020
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 116-691, Part I.
Jun 26, 2019
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 41 - 0.
Jun 26, 2019
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Jun 24, 2019
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Jun 21, 2019
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.
Jun 21, 2019
Introduced in House
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 Latest action December 24, 2020

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 574.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Beneficiary Education Tools, Telehealth, and Extenders Reauthorization Act of 2019 or the BETTER Act of 2019

This bill extends funding for, and makes a series of changes to, Medicare enrollment, payment, and prescription drug programs.

Among other things, the bill

  • extends funding through FY2022 for state health insurance programs, area agencies on aging, aging and disability resource centers, technical assistance related to outreach and enrollment, and certain quality-measurement activities;
  • provides statutory authority for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services transition program under the Medicare prescription drug benefit for limited-income, newly eligible individuals (i.e., individuals who are eligible for subsidies and have not yet enrolled in, or whose coverage has not yet taken effect under, a Medicare or Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan);
  • revises payment rules for graduate medical education costs with respect to a hospital that establishes a new medical residency training program; and
  • authorizes additional quality measures for the skilled nursing facility (SNF) value-based purchasing program, which provides incentive payments to SNFs based on their quality of care.
 Related & companion bills 8
  • HR 3029 Improving Low-Income Access to Prescription Drugs Act of 2019
  • HR 3039 To provide for a 5-year extension of funding outreach and assistance for low-income programs.
  • HR 3408 Shop Rx Act of 2019
  • HR 3415 Real-Time Beneficiary Drug Cost Bill
  • HR 3421 Fair Choices for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2019
  • HR 3425 Advancing Medical Resident Training in Community Hospitals Act of 2019
  • HR 3430 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend funding for quality measure endorsement, input, and selection…
  • HR 3406 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve measurements under the skilled nursing facility value-based …
 Bill text 2 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 3417: BETTER Act of 2019. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-3417/
MLA
"H.R. 3417: BETTER Act of 2019." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-3417/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 3417, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-3417/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 3417: BETTER Act of 2019](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-3417/)
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