,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gbdi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #aa1       
#bjah,mr4 ,reed introduced the following
 bill2 which was referred to the        
,committee on ,ways and ,means1 and in  
addition to the ,committee on ,energy   
and ,commerce1 for a period to be       
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title ,,xviii of   
the ,social ,security ,act to provide   
for certain prior authorization         
notifications by ,medicare ,advantage   
organizations4  #a4 ,short title ,this  
,act may be cited as the ,the ,better   
,prior ,authorization ,notification     
,act4  #b4 ,prior authorization         
notifications required to be made by    
,medicare ,advantage organizations  7a7 
,notification to providers and          
prescribers ,section #aheb7;j7 of the   
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   

#aciew-#bb7;j77 is amended by adding at 
the end the following3  7#h7 ,prior     
authorization notification ,for each    
plan year1 beginning with plan year     
#bjba1 a ,medicare ,advantage           
organization offering an ,,ma plan shall
 provide to physicians and other        
providers who are prescribers who have  
in effect for such plan year an         
agreement of participation with the     
organization--  7,a7 at the beginning of
 such plan year1 information 7such as   
through a public website1 mail1         
electronic communications1 or payor's   
web portal 7as defined by the           
,secretary77 on items and services      
7which in the case of an ,,ma-,,pd plan 
shall include covered part ,d drugs7    
covered under the plan that are subject 
to a prior authorization2 and  7,b7     
before implementing any additional prior
 authorization requirement under the    
plan during such plan year applicable to
 such items or services1 notification of
 such additional requirement4  4  7b7   

,notification to beneficiaries ,section 
#aheb7;c7 of the ,social ,security ,act 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#bb7;c77 is       
amended by adding at the end the        
following new paragraph3  7#c7 ,prior   
authorization information  7,a7 ,in     
general ,for each plan year1 beginning  
with plan year #bjba1 a ,medicare       
,advantage organization offering an ,,ma
 plan shall provide 7such as through a  
public website1 mail1 or electronic     
communication7 to each enrollee in such 
plan1 before implementing under the plan
 any new prior authorization requirement
 applicable to an item or service 7which
 in the case of an ,,ma-,,pd plan shall 
include covered part ,d drugs7 offered  
under the plan that was utilized by the 
enrollee during the previous #ab-month  
period 7or such other period specified  
by the ,secretary71 notification of such
 additional requirement and information 
regarding an alternative to such item or
 service1 if appropriate1 that is not   
subject to a prior authorization        

requirement under the plan and that may 
have a lower out-of-pocket cost than the
 item or service subject to the prior   
authorization requirement4  7,b7        
,hotline ,beginning with plan year      
#bjba1 a ,medicare ,advantage           
organization offering an ,,ma plan shall
 maintain a hotline for enrollees in    
such plan to inquire about and receive  
information regarding prior             
authorization requirements under such   
plan4  4