[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2633 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2633

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for standard 
    forms under the Medicare Program for certifications of medical 
           necessity and certifications of terminal illness.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 7, 1997

  Mr. Stark introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on 
Commerce, 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 provide for standard 
    forms under the Medicare Program for certifications of medical 
           necessity and certifications of terminal illness.

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

SECTION 1. STANDARDIZATION OF FORMS USED FOR CERTIFICATIONS OF MEDICAL 
              NECESSITY AND CERTIFICATIONS OF TERMINAL ILLNESS.

    (a) Part A Services.--
            (1) Publication of standard.--Section 1814 of the Social 
        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395f) is amended by adding at the end 
        the following new subsection:

                   ``Standard Form for Certifications

    ``(m)(1) For purposes of certifications and recertifications under 
paragraphs (2), (3), and (8) of subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
specify and publish a standard form and manner in which such 
certifications and recertifications are to be made.''.
            (2) Application to part a services.--Section 1814(a) of 
        such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395f(a)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``certifies (and 
                recertifies,'' and inserting ``certifies in a form and 
                manner consistent with subsection (m)(1) (and 
                recertifies in such a form and manner,'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``certifies'' and 
                inserting ``certifies in a form and manner consistent 
                with subsection (m)(1)''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (8), by striking ``certifies'' and 
                inserting ``certifies in a form and manner consistent 
                with subsection (m)(1)''.
    (b) Hospice Care.--
            (1) Publication of standard.--Section 1814(m) of such Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1395f(m)), as added by subsection (a), is amended by 
        adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(2) For purposes of certifications and recertifications of 
terminal illness under subsection (a)(7), the Secretary shall specify 
and publish a standard form and manner in which such certifications and 
recertifications are to be made.''.
            (2) Application to hospice care.--Section 1814(a)(7) of 
        such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395f(a)(7)) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (A)(i), by inserting ``in a form 
                and manner consistent with subsection (m)(2)'' after 
                ``each certify in writing''; and
                    (B) in subsection (A)(ii), by inserting ``in such a 
                form and manner'' after ``recertifies''.
    (c) Part B Services.--
            (1) Publication of standard.--Section 1835 of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1395n) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) For purposes of certifications and recertifications under 
subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall specify and publish a standard 
form and manner in which such certifications and recertifications are 
to be made.''.
            (2) Application to part b services.--Section 1835(a)(2) of 
        such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395n(a)(2)) is amended by striking 
        ``certifies (and recertifies,'' and inserting ``certifies in a 
        form and manner consistent with subsection (f) (and recertifies 
        in such a form and manner,''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a)(2), 
(b)(2), and (c)(2) shall apply to certifications and recertifications 
made on or after 6 months after the date the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services publishes a standard form and manner for such 
certifications and recertifications under the amendments made by 
subsections (a)(1), (b)(1), and (c)(1) respectively.
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