H.R. 8871

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8871 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8871

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to promote Medicare 
program integrity with respect to certain medical equipment and 
supplies.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 19, 2026

Mr. Bean of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the 
Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined 
by the Speaker, 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 promote Medicare 
program integrity with respect to certain medical equipment and 
supplies.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``DME Scammer Prevention Act of 
2026''.

SEC. 2. PROMOTING MEDICARE PROGRAM INTEGRITY WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN 
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES.

(a) Electronic Submission of Claims by All Providers and 
Suppliers.--Section 1862(h) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395y(h)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)(A)(ii), by striking ``the entity'' and 
inserting ``except in the case of claims for specified items 
(as defined in paragraph (3)), the entity''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(3) For purposes of paragraph (1)(A)(ii), the term `specified 
items' means medical equipment and supplies (as defined in section 
1834(j)(5)) furnished on or after January 1, 2027, that are included on 
the Master List described in section 1834(a)(23).''.
(b) Submission of Claims Within 90 Days.--Section 1842(b)(3) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(3)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (B), in the flush matter following 
clause (ii), by inserting ``(or, in the case of claims for 
applicable items, the period ending 90 days after such date of 
service)'' after ``date of service''; and
(2) in the flush matter following subparagraph (L)--
(A) in the sixth sentence--
(i) by inserting ``or end of the 90-day 
period specified in such subparagraph (as 
applicable)'' after ``close of the following 
calendar year''; and
(ii) by inserting ``or end of such period 
(as applicable)'' after ``close of such year'';
(B) in the ninth sentence, by inserting ``or 90-day 
period (as applicable)'' after ``1 calendar year 
period''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
sentence: ``For purposes of subparagraph (B), the term 
`applicable items' means specified items (as defined in 
section 1862(h)(3)), other than any such item that is 
included on the Required Face-to-Face Encounter and 
Written Order Prior to Delivery List described in 
section 410.38(c)(8) of title 42, Code of Federal 
Regulations (or a successor regulation) or on the 
Required Prior Authorization List described in section 
414.234(c)(1) of title 42 of such Code (or a successor 
regulation) or for which payment is made on a monthly 
rental basis.''.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than January 1, 2030, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to 
Congress a report on the technology used by medicare 
administrative contractors to screen claims for specified items 
to identify errors or indicators of potential waste, fraud, or 
abuse. Such report shall include, with respect to the 1-year 
period beginning on January 1, 2027--
(A) an examination of--
(i) the total number of such claims 
submitted during such period for which payment 
was initially denied on the basis of such 
screening technology; and
(ii) the total number of claims so denied 
for which payment was ultimately made; and
(B) an examination of the extent to which the use 
of such screening technology (taking into account the 
amendments made by subsections (a) and (b)) assists in 
the identification of--
(i) suspicious claims or aberrant billing 
practices that may be indicative of improper 
payments; and
(ii) the basis of claims denials.
(2) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Medicare administrative contractor.--The term 
``medicare administrative contractor'' has the meaning 
given such term in section 1874A(a)(3) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395kk-1(a)(3)).
(B) Specified items.--The term ``specified items'' 
has the meaning given such term in section 1862(h)(3) 
of the Social Security Act, as added by subsection (a).
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