[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 421 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 421

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit separate 
payment under part B of the medicare program for the interpretation of 
  electrocardiograms provided by a physician during a visit, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 5, 1993

   Mr. Torricelli 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 permit separate 
payment under part B of the medicare program for the interpretation of 
  electrocardiograms provided by a physician during a visit, 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 ``Medicare EKG Payment Restoration Act 
of 1993''.

SEC. 2. PERMITTING SEPARATE PAYMENT FOR INTERPRETATION OF EKGS PROVIDED 
              DURING OFFICE VISITS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1848(b) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395w-4(b)) is amended by striking paragraph (3).
    (b) Development of Separate Fee Schedule Amounts for EKG 
Interpretations.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        shall establish separate fee schedule amounts under section 
        1848(b) of the Social Security Act for the interpretation of 
        electrocardiograms performed or ordered to be performed as part 
        of or in conjunction with a visit to or consultation with a 
        physician.
            (2) Adjustment of fee schedules for office visits.--With 
        respect to physicians' services consisting of visits to or 
        consultations with a physician, the Secretary shall adjust the 
        relative values established for such services under section 
        1848(b) of the Social Security Act to reflect the establishment 
        of separate fee schedule amounts under paragraph (1).
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) and the 
provisions of subsection (b) shall apply to services furnished on or 
after January 1, 1993.

SEC. 3. GUIDELINES AND STUDIES RELATING TO UTILIZATION OF 
              ELECTROCARDIOGRAMS.

    (a) Development of Practice Guidelines.--Not later than 6 months 
after the date of the enactment, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (acting through the Administrator of the Agency for Health 
Care Policy and Research) shall--
            (1) establish practice guidelines for electrocardiograms 
        for the use of physicians, and shall disseminate the guidelines 
        and other educational information relating to the use of 
        electrocardiograms to physicians; and
            (2) develop a profile of the use of electrocardiograms by 
        physicians.
    (b) Study of Utilization and Costs of EKGs.--
            (1) Study.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        (acting through the Administrator of the Agency for Health Care 
        Policy and Research) shall conduct a study of the utilization 
        and costs of electrocardiograms, and shall include in the study 
        an analysis of the effects of the amendment made by section 
        2(a) and the provisions of section 2(b) on such utilization and 
        costs.
            (2) Report to congress.--Not later than 2 years after the 
        effective date of the final regulations promulgated by the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out the 
        amendment made by section 2(a) and the provisions of section 
        2(b), the Secretary shall submit a report on the study 
        conducted under paragraph (1) to Congress.

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