[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2387 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2387

    To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for 
increased medicare reimbursement for physician assistants, to increase 
the delivery of health services in health professional shortage areas, 
                        and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 10, 1993

 Mr. Towns  (for himself and Mr. Coyne) introduced the following bill; 
  which was referred jointly to the Committees on Ways and Means and 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for 
increased medicare reimbursement for physician assistants, to increase 
the delivery of health services in health professional shortage areas, 
                        and for other purposes.

    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 ``Physician Assistant Incentive Act of 
1993''.

SEC. 2. INCREASED MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT FOR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1842(b)(12)(A)(ii) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(12)(A)(ii)) is amended.
            (1) in subclause (I), by striking ``65 percent'' and 
        inserting ``65 percent, or in the case of physician assistant 
        services 97 percent''; and
            (2) in subclause (II), by striking ``or for services 
        furnished'' and all that follows through ``1848'' and inserting 
        ``or for services of a physician assistant 97 percent of the 
        fee schedule amount specified in section 1848 for the same 
        service performed by a physician or for services of a nurse 
        practitioner the fee schedule amount specified in such 
        section''.
    (b) Bonus Payment for Services Provided in Health Professional 
Shortage Areas.--Section 1833(m) (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) In the case of services of a physician assistant, furnished 
to an individual, described in paragraph (1), in an area that is a 
health professional shortage area as described in such paragraph, in 
addition to the amount otherwise paid under this part, there shall also 
be paid to such service provider (or to an employer in the cases 
described in clause (C) of section 1842(b)(6) (on a monthly or 
quarterly basis) from the Federal Supplementary Medical Trust Fund an 
amount equal to 10 percent of the payment amount for the service under 
this part.''.
    (c) Removal of Restriction on Settings.--Section 1861(s)(2)(K)(i) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)(K)(i) is amended by striking ``(I) 
in a hospital'' and all that follows through ``shortage area''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to services furnished on or after July 1, 1993.

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