This bill would add a new rule to Medicare outreach and education. It asks the Department of Health and Human Services to tell people with Medicare about an option to let a family caregiver access their personal health information using the toll-free 1-800-MEDICARE phone line. A beneficiary would need to fill out and submit a specific authorization form (the CMS-10106 form or a successor) to allow a named family caregiver to get information by phone.
The bill requires outreach and education to beneficiaries, caregivers, providers, and others. Outreach must include placing the authorization form and clear information in the standard Medicare notice, on Medicare.gov, in Medicare Advantage communications, and on other channels such as social media. The bill also requires training for 1-800-MEDICARE operators, materials in non-English languages as set by the Secretary, opportunities for caregiver feedback (for example, surveys), and coordination with State Health Insurance Assistance Programs and the Administration for Community Living.
The Office of the Inspector General must publish best practices within one year to protect beneficiaries from fraud tied to improper access to personal health information, including recommendations about reporting and improving agency investigation of fraud reports. The bill notes the caregiver term uses the definition from the RAISE Family Caregivers Act and allows the Secretary to include other individuals.
No publicly available information on costs or funding is included in the bill text or metadata.
No publicly available information on proponents' stated views is included in the bill text or metadata.
No publicly available information on opponents' stated views is included in the bill text or metadata.