[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 379 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 379
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the medicare
incentive payment program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 12, 2003
Mr. Bingaman (for himself and Mr. Thomas) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the medicare
incentive payment 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 Incentive Payment Program
Improvement Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. PROCEDURES FOR SECRETARY, AND NOT PHYSICIANS, TO DETERMINE WHEN
BONUS PAYMENTS UNDER MEDICARE INCENTIVE PAYMENT PROGRAM
SHOULD BE MADE.
Section 1833(m) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(m)) is
amended--
(1) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(m)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(2) The Secretary shall establish procedures under which the
Secretary, and not the physician furnishing the service, is responsible
for determining when a payment is required to be made under paragraph
(1).''.
SEC. 3. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM REGARDING THE MEDICARE INCENTIVE PAYMENT
PROGRAM.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish and
implement an ongoing educational program to provide education to
physicians under the medicare program on the medicare incentive payment
program under section 1833(m) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395l(m)).
SEC. 4. ONGOING STUDY AND ANNUAL REPORT ON THE MEDICARE INCENTIVE
PAYMENT PROGRAM.
(a) Ongoing Study.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall conduct an ongoing study on the medicare incentive payment
program under section 1833(m) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395l(m)). Such study shall focus on whether such program increases the
access of medicare beneficiaries who reside in an area that is
designated (under section 332(a)(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 254e(a)(1)(A))) as a health professional shortage area to
physicians' services under the medicare program.
(b) Annual Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Health
and Human Services shall submit to Congress a report on the study
conducted under subsection (a), together with recommendations for such
legislation and administrative actions as the Secretary considers
appropriate.
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