S. 2312: DME Access and Stabilization Act of 2015
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S. 2312: DME Access and Stabilization Act of 2015
114th Congress · introduced 2015-11-19 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2015-11-19 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
DME Access and Stabilization Act of 2015
Plain summary
DME Access and Stabilization Act of 2015 This bill amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to modify provisions relating to payment for durable medical equipment (DME) under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. (DME includes certain medically necessary equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, and hospital beds.) With respect to DME furnished in areas that are not competitive acquisition areas, current regulations require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) to phase in, over a two-year period, Medicare payment adjustments using information from competitive acquisition programs. (Through such programs, payment amounts for each area are determined based on competitive bids submitted by suppliers, rather than according to an established fee schedule.) The bill codifies this requirement and specifies that CMS shall adjust fee schedule amounts to the lesser of: (1) a specified percentage of the regional amount; and (2) the amount that would otherwise be determined according to the fee schedule, with specified adjustments. In determining Medicare payment adjustments for areas that are not competitive acquisition areas, CMS shall solicit stakeholder input and take into account several specified factors. CMS may not establish a ceiling on competitive bids submitted for DME that is less than the amount that would otherwise be paid under Medicare. The Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman shall evaluate the impact of the competitive acquisition program on beneficiary health status and health outcomes. The bill limits federal Medicaid reimbursement rates to states for DME to the rates that would be paid for such items under Medicare.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
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What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
DME Access and Stabilization Act of 2015
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] · 20 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Susan M. Collins (R-ME), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Steve Daines (R-MT), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), John Hoeven (R-ND), John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Rounds (R-SD)
Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] reported raising $4.7 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
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 (3)
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
- 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
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s2312.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>
Record fed-us-cong114-s2312 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114