Health insurance advisory service for medicare beneficiaries

The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish a health insurance advisory service program (in this section referred to as the “beneficiary assistance program”) to assist medicare-eligible individuals with the receipt of services under the medicare and medicaid programs and other health insurance programs. The beneficiary assistance program shall provide assistance— The beneficiary assistance program shall provide for information, counseling, and assistance for medicare-eligible individuals with respect to at least the following: With respect to the medicare program— With respect to the medicaid program— With respect to medicare supplemental policies— The Secretary, through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, shall develop appropriate educational materials and other appropriate techniques to assist employees in carrying out this section. The Secretary shall take such steps as are necessary to assure that medicare-eligible beneficiaries and the general public are made aware of the beneficiary assistance program. The Secretary shall include, in an annual report transmitted to the Congress, a report on the beneficiary assistance program and on other health insurance informational and counseling services made available to medicare-eligible individuals. The Secretary shall include in the report recommendations for such changes as may be desirable to improve the relationship between the medicare program and medicare-eligible individuals.