Biden Administration Finalizes Implementation of Schneider Legislation to Make Medicare Enrollment Easier, Cheaper

WASHINGTON—The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced it would begin implementation of legislation introduced by Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10) to help make enrollment in Medicare easier, more flexible, and less costly for seniors.

“Our Medicare system is supposed to give seniors access to high-quality, affordable health care, but for too many older Americans, the enrollment process can be a source of stress, confusion, and even lifelong penalties, ” said Congressman Schneider. “The BENES Act made commonsense reforms to make Medicare enrollment easier, eliminate gaps in coverage, and get seniors the health care they deserve. I applaud the Biden Administration for finalizing these reforms and look forward to seeing an improved Medicare enrollment process in 2023.”

The Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification (BENES) Act (H.R. 2477), which Rep. Schneider introduced with Reps. Raul Ruiz (CA-36), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), and the late Jackie Walorski (IN-02) in 2020, ensures individuals will have Medicare coverage the month immediately after enrollment and creates special enrollment periods, which can prevent fees due to late enrollment in extenuating circumstances, such as when an individual has been impacted by a natural disaster. These measures were signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The final rule implementing these changes was released by CMS on Friday and will go into effect January 1, 2023.

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