One of the most common complaints among those dealing with Medicare administration is that appeals take an enormous amount of time to resolve. New legislation introduced in the Senate Finance Committee looks to solve the backlog by allocating $1.7 billion over ten years to process claims as well as create a website that will allow organizations and individuals to track the status of the claim. In addition, an official position will be created within the appeals department which will be tasked with clearing case backlogs and providing advanced training to appeals officers. This legislation appears to be introduced at the right time due to the increasing number of Baby Boomers that are served by Medicare creating more pressure on the system. No word on when the legislation will move out of committee and to the Senate floor for a vote.
See Emily Mongan, Bill to expedite Medicare appeals expected to cost $1.7 billion, McKnight’s, February 18, 2016.
Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.
