Obama signs Medicare Secondary Payer Act

H.R. 1845, a bill that aims to simplify compliance with the Medicare Secondary Payer Act, has been signed into law by President Obama.

The bill was one of several pieces of legislation signed by the president Thursday, according to a White House statement. It passed late last month and contains portions of H.R. 1063, the Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers Act.

Supporters of the SMART Act say it will make it easier to reimburse the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Medicare Secondary Payer regulations require insurers and self-insured employers to repay CMS for a Medicare beneficiary's medical treatment related to workers compensation or liability cases.

The parent bill for H.R. 1845, known as the Medicare IVIG Access Act, will study access to intravenous immunoglobulin for Medicare beneficiaries.