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H.R. 3474: PRIME Act of 2011

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H.R. 3474: PRIME Act of 2011

112th Congress · introduced 2011-11-18 · Health · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2011-11-18 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Stearns, Cliff [R-FL-6] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

PRIME Act of 2011

Plain summary

Promoting Responsibility in Medical Expenditures Act of 2011 - Amends title XI of the Social Security Act (SSA) to increase civil money penalties, criminal fines, and prison sentences for fraud and abuse under the SSA title XVIII (Medicare) program. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit to Congress annual fraud reports with respect to Medicare, SSA title XIX (Medicaid), and SSA title XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP). Amends the Small Business Jobs Act to exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act the algorithms used in predictive modeling and other analytics technology to identify and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicare fee-for-service program. Requires valid National Provider Identifiers for prescribers on pharmacy claims for covered Medicare part D prescription drugs. Requires a prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsor identifying a claim for reimbursement for a drug prescribed by an individual without a valid National Provider Identifier to report to the HHS Inspector General any relevant information on such a prescriber, including any invalid national provider identifiers being used to submit such claims and related records. Requires the Inspector General of HHS to provide such information to appropriate law enforcement agencies. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish procedures and rules to restrict access to the National Provider Identifier Registry in order to deter the fraudulent use of National Provider Identifiers. Decreases by 10% per quarter the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for a state if: (1) it is receiving a grant for a state controlled substance monitoring program through which it identifies fraud, waste, or abuse in connection with the provision of prescription drug coverage under the state Medicaid plan; and (2) the state or a political subdivision is reimbursed by a third party for expenditures related to such fraud, waste, or abuse, or for a recovered amount. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish procedures to eliminate the unnecessary collection, use, and display of Social Security account numbers of Medicare beneficiaries. Requires the Secretary of HHS to ensure that each newly issued Medicare identification card does not display or electronically store, in an unencrypted format, a Medicare beneficiary's Social Security account number, unless the beneficiary's health insurance claim number is the beneficiary's or spouse's Social Security number, and the risk of fraudulent use of such numbers is not unacceptably high. Requires the Secretary of HHS to prohibit the display of a Medicare beneficiary's Social Security account number in any written or electronic communication to the beneficiary unless its inclusion is essential for the operation of the Medicare program. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish a pilot program to evaluate the applicability of smart card technology to the Medicare program, and whether such cards would be effective in preventing Medicare fraud. Prohibits payment for an item or service under Medicaid or CHIP unless the claim contains: (1) a valid beneficiary identification number corresponding to an individual enrolled under the state plan or an applicable waiver; and (2) a valid provider identifier corresponding to a provider eligible to receive payment for furnishing such item or service. Directs the Comptroller General to recommend methods to make Medicare claims data available to the public to improve Medicare transparency while protecting the privacy of individual Medicare beneficiaries, service providers, and suppliers.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Stearns, Cliff [R-FL-6] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (4)
Appropriation
Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Exemption
A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.
Rulemaking
The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong112-hr3474 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112