To provide steady updates of payment rates under the Medicare physician fee schedule.

SA 1118. Mr. COTTON proposed an amendment to the bill H.R. 2, to
amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare
sustainable growth rate and strengthen Medicare access by improving
physician payments and making other improvements, to reauthorize the
Children's Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes; as
follows:

Beginning on page 5, strike line 22 and all that follows
through page 127, line 6, and insert the following:
(2) Update of rates for 2015 and subsequent years.--
Subsection (d) of section 1848 of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395w-4) is amended by striking paragraph (16) and
inserting the following new paragraphs:
``(16) Update for january through june of 2015.--Subject to
paragraphs (7)(B), (8)(B), (9)(B), (10)(B), (11)(B), (12)(B),
(13)(B), (14)(B), and (15)(B), in lieu of the update to the
single conversion factor established in paragraph (1)(C) that
would otherwise apply for 2015 for the period beginning on
January 1, 2015, and ending on June 30, 2015, the update to
the single conversion factor shall be 0.0 percent.
``(17) Update for july through december of 2015.--The
update to the single conversion factor established in
paragraph (1)(C) for the period beginning on July 1, 2015,
and ending on December 31, 2015, shall be 0.5 percent.
``(18) Update for 2016 and subsequent years.--The update to
the single conversion factor established in paragraph (1)(C)
for 2016 and each subsequent year shall be 0.5 percent.''.
______