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Committee on Ways and Means For Immediate Release Lawsuit Filed Over Medicare Treatment Coverage Denials WASHINGTON - On Tuesday, Medicare beneficiaries, the American Council of the Blind, Gray Panthers, and the American Association of People with Disabilities sued the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) over the delay in implementing the appeals process for the medical coverage decisions made by the Medicare program. Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA) stated, “This lawsuit underscores the importance of the legislation that I sponsored and enacted in the Benefit Improvement and Protection Act of 2000. Medicare beneficiaries are being denied access to health care with no chance to appeal those decisions. This must change - it’s the law. CMS must comply with the statutory deadlines.” Since enactment, the Ways and Means Committee, in a bipartisan effort, has continued to urge the Administration to proceed with the implementation of the law to ensure the rights of seniors and disabled persons. |