Skip to main content
S 618 116th Congress Senate

Medicare Choices Empowerment and Protection Act

Official title: A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to voluntarily adopt advance directives guiding the medical care they receive.

Introduced: February 28, 2019 Introduced by: Coons, Christopher A. Democratic · Delaware See on congress.gov
Health Government information and archivesHealth information and medical recordsLicensing and registrationsLong-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
MedicareRight of privacy
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
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 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 28, 2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Feb 28, 2019
Introduced in Senate
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action February 28, 2019

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Medicare Choices Empowerment and Protection Act

This bill establishes a Medicare Advance Directive Certification Program. Under the program, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shall grant accreditation to advance directive vendors that meet specified accreditation criteria.

The CMS shall establish procedures for an eligible beneficiary to register the adoption of a certified advance directive under the program. Beneficiary registration in the program shall be optional, but each eligible beneficiary who adopts and registers a certified advance directive shall receive a one-time incentive payment.

The CMS shall provide for related education and outreach.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 3
All 3 Democratic 1 Republican 2
R
Barrasso, John
Wyoming · Feb 28, 2019
 D
Bennet, Michael F.
Colorado · Feb 28, 2019
 R
Cassidy, Bill
Louisiana · Feb 28, 2019
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 618: Medicare Choices Empowerment and Protection Act. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-618/
MLA
"S. 618: Medicare Choices Empowerment and Protection Act." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-618/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 618, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-618/.
Markdown link
[S. 618: Medicare Choices Empowerment and Protection Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-618/)
Report a problem