Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification Act of 2019 or the BENES Act of 2019
This bill makes a series of changes to, and requires additional notifications regarding, the Medicare enrollment process.
Specifically, the bill changes the Medicare general enrollment period to October 15-December 31, and requires coverage to begin on the first day of the month following enrollment. (Currently, the general enrollment period is January 1-March 31, and coverage begins July 1.) The bill also generally requires coverage to begin on the first day of the month following enrollment for individuals who enroll in the latter months of their initial enrollment period. (Currently, the longer an individual waits to enroll, the more delayed the effective date of coverage.)
The bill also requires Social Security account statements for individuals ages 60 to 64 to include information about Medicare eligibility, late enrollment penalties, coordination of benefits, and special enrollment populations (e.g., veterans).
| Action Date | Type | Text | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-12-09 | IntroReferral | Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. | Senate |
| 2020-12-08 | Floor | Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. | House floor actions |
| 2020-12-08 | Floor | On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H6993-6997) | House floor actions |
| 2020-12-08 | Floor | DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2477. | House floor actions |
| 2020-12-08 | Floor | Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H6993-7000) | House floor actions |
| 2020-12-08 | Floor | Mr. Larson (CT) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. | House floor actions |
| 2020-12-08 | Committee | Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 116-621, Part I. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-15 | Committee | Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote. | House committee actions |
| 2020-07-15 | Committee | Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held. | House committee actions |
| 2020-03-11 | Committee | Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) . | House committee actions |
| 2020-03-11 | Committee | Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held. | House committee actions |
| 2020-01-08 | Committee | Subcommittee Hearings Held. | House committee actions |
| 2019-05-03 | Committee | Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. | House committee actions |
| 2019-05-02 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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. | House floor actions |
| 2019-05-02 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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. | House floor actions |
| 2019-05-02 | IntroReferral | Introduced in House | Library of Congress |