,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cdif  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #be1
 #bjah,mr4 ,daines 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,king7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to 
direct the ,secretary of ,health and    
,human ,services to conduct a study and 
submit a report on the effects of the   
inclusion of quality increases in the   
determination of blended benchmark      
amounts under part ,c of the ,medicare  
program4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act   
may be cited as the ,improving ,seniors 
,access to ,quality ,benefits ,act4  #b4
 ,determination of blended benchmark    
amount study  7a7 ,sense of ,congress   
,it is the sense of ,congress that the  
inclusion of quality increases in the   
determination of blended benchmark      
amounts under section #ahec7n77#d7 of   
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#bc7n77#d77 undermines 
the goal of delivering high-quality care

 under the ,medicare program under title
 ,,xviii of such ,act4  7b7 ,study and  
report ,not later than one year after   
the date of enactment of this section1  
the ,secretary of ,health and ,human    
,services1 in consultation with relevant
 stakeholders1 shall conduct a study and
 submit to ,congress a report on the    
effects of the inclusion of quality     
percentage increases under section      
#ahec7o7 of such ,act in the            
determination of blended benchmark      
amounts under section #ahec7n77#d7 of   
such ,act4 ,such study and report shall 
include an analysis of the following3   
7#a7 ,the authority of the ,secretary to
 remove such increases from the         
determination of such amounts4  7#b7    
,the effects of including such increases
 in the determination of such amounts on
 ,medicare ,advantage organizations     
7including the effects on any contracts 
entered into by such organizations74    
7#c7 ,the financial impact of including 
such increases in the determination of  

such amounts by county4  7#d7 ,the      
effects of including such increases in  
the determination of such amounts on    
individuals enrolled in a plan under    
part ,c of title ,,xviii of such ,act4