Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act

Senate Bill

S. 3059

119th Congress

Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act

In Committee

Introduced:Oct 27, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Michael Bennet

D - CO

Cosponsors

2

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Health

Summary

This bill would require Medicare Advantage health plans to maintain accurate, up-to-date directories of their in-network healthcare providers. It would also protect patients from being charged extra if they unknowingly see an out-of-network provider listed as in-network.

Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill would require Medicare Advantage health plans to maintain accurate, up-to-date directories of their in-network healthcare providers. It would also protect patients from being charged extra if they unknowingly see an out-of-network provider listed as in-network.

Last updated: 12/29/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Requiring Enhanced & Accurate Lists of Health Providers Act or the REAL Health Providers ActThis bill requires Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations to maintain directories of in-network providers and continually ensure their accuracy.Specifically, MA organizations must publish on their websites an accurate directory of in-network providers and regularly update these directories. The bill additionally specifies that if a provider is listed as in-network in this directory when a beneficiary selects and makes an appointment with the provider, but the provider is not actually in-network, the beneficiary is still only responsible for paying in-network cost-sharing requirements.MA organizations must annually evaluate and report on the accuracy of their directories; the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and MA organizations must publish this information on their websites. The bill provides funds for these purposes.The Government Accountability Office must report on the bill's implementation.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Requires Medicare Advantage plans to publish and regularly update online directories of their in-network healthcare providers
Ensures patients only pay in-network costs if they see a provider listed as in-network, even if that provider is actually out-of-network
Mandates annual evaluations and public reporting on the accuracy of provider directories

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

If passed, this bill would benefit the millions of Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans by ensuring they can easily identify in-network providers and avoid surprise medical bills. It would also increase transparency around plan networks and hold insurers accountable for maintaining accurate provider information.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Health

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

3059, 119th Congress (2025). "Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-3059