[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 242 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 242

    To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the 
 Secretary of Health and Human Services to consult with State medical 
    societies in revising the geographic adjustment factors used to 
 determine the amount of payment for physicians' services under part B 
 of the medicare program, to require the Secretary to base geographic-
    cost-of-practice indices under the program upon the most recent 
                available data, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             January 27 (legislative day, January 5), 1993

Mr. Pryor (for himself, Mr. Glenn, Mr. Bryan, and Mr. Cohen) 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 require the 
 Secretary of Health and Human Services to consult with State medical 
    societies in revising the geographic adjustment factors used to 
 determine the amount of payment for physicians' services under part B 
 of the medicare program, to require the Secretary to base geographic-
    cost-of-practice indices under the program upon the most recent 
                available data, 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 Geographic Data Accuracy 
Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVING ACCURACY OF GEOGRAPHIC ADJUSTMENTS USED TO DETERMINE 
              PAYMENT FOR PHYSICIANS' SERVICES UNDER MEDICARE.

    (a) Requiring Consultation With State Medical Societies in Revision 
of Geographic Adjustment Factors.--Section 1848(e)(1)(C) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(e)(1)(C)) is amended by striking ``may 
revise'' and inserting ``shall, in consultation with each State medical 
society (or other appropriate organization representing the majority of 
the physicians who practice in a State), revise''.
    (b) Basing Geographic-Cost-of-Practice Indices on Most Recent 
Available Data.--
            (1) In general.--Section 1848(e)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1395w-4(e)(1)) is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
                subparagraph (D); and
                    (B) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the 
                following new subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Data used to determine indices.--In 
                establishing indices under subparagraph (A), the 
                Secretary shall use the most recent available data 
                relating to practice expenses, malpractice expenses, 
                and physicians' work effort in the different fee 
                schedule areas, and shall obtain and review the data in 
                consultation with each State medical society (or other 
                appropriate organization representing the majority of 
                the physicians who practice in a State).''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 1848(e)(1)(A) of such 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(e)(1)(A)) is amended in the matter 
        preceding clause (i) by striking ``and (C)'' and inserting 
        ``and (D)''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by section 2 shall apply to payments for 
physicians' services furnished on or after January 1, 1994.

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