July 30, 2026
Mr. Williams of Texas (for himself and Mr. Bean of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Veterans' Affairs, 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
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the Medicare & You handbook to provide information on the impacts of enrollment in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs on Medicare premiums, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Veterans Medicare Premium Transparency Act
.
Sec. 2. Explanation of Medicare benefits for veterans
(a) Explanation of Medicare benefits in annual notice
Section 1804 of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395b–2) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(e)
A notice provided under subsection (a) on or after the date of enactment of the Veterans Medicare Premium Transparency Act shall include an explanation of how enrollment in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code, impacts the calculation of the monthly premium of an individual enrolled under part B and the monthly premium for a prescription drug plan under part D, including a clear explanation that—
(1)
months for which an individual is enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code, shall be taken into account for the purposes of determining the monthly premium of such individual under section 1839(b); and
(2)
enrollment in such patient enrollment system is creditable prescription drug coverage under section 1860D–13(b).
(b) Notice of Medicare benefits online
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall make available on the Medicare.gov internet website (or a successor website) and any other website of the Department of Health and Human Services, as determined relevant by the Secretary, the information described in subsection (e) of section 1804 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395b–2), as amended by this section.
(c) Report
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to Congress a report that includes—
(1)
a summary of the updates made to publications of the Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to subsection (e) of section 1804 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395b–2), as amended by this section, and subsection (b); and
(2)
an estimate of the number of veterans who—
(A)
were paying an increased monthly premium under section 1839(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395r(b)) as of the date of enactment of this Act; and
(B)
were at any point enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code.