Medicare Mental Health Copayment Equity Act of 2003

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2787 Introduced in House (IH)]

108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2787

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate
discriminatory copayment rates for outpatient psychiatric services
under the Medicare Program.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 17, 2003

Mr. Strickland (for himself and Mr. Murphy) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and
in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate
discriminatory copayment rates for outpatient psychiatric services
under the Medicare Program.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare Mental Health Copayment
Equity Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATORY COPAYMENT RATES FOR MEDICARE
OUTPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES.

Section 1833(c) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(c)) is
amended to read as follows:
``(c)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, with
respect to expenses incurred in a calendar year in connection with the
treatment of mental, psychoneurotic, and personality disorders of an
individual who is not an inpatient of a hospital at the time such
expenses are incurred, there shall be considered as incurred expenses
for purposes of subsections (a) and (b)--
``(A) for expenses incurred in any year before 2004, only
62\1/2\ percent of such expenses;
``(B) for expenses incurred in 2004, only 68\3/4\ percent
of such expenses;
``(C) for expenses incurred in 2005, only 75 percent of
such expenses;
``(D) for expenses incurred in 2006, only 81\1/4\ percent
of such expenses;
``(E) for expenses incurred in 2007, only 87\1/2\ percent
of such expenses;
``(F) for expenses incurred in 2008, only 93\3/4\ percent
of such expenses; and
``(G) for expenses incurred in 2009 or any subsequent year,
100 percent of such expenses.
``(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term `treatment' does
not include brief office visits (as defined by the Secretary) for the
sole purpose of monitoring or changing drug prescriptions used in the
treatment of such disorders or partial hospitalization services that
are not directly provided by a physician.''.
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