[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 158 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 158

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide improved 
 reimbursement for clinical social worker services under the medicare 
                    program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 21, 1997

  Mr. Inouye 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 provide improved 
 reimbursement for clinical social worker services under the medicare 
                    program, 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. IMPROVED REIMBURSEMENT FOR CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER SERVICES 
              UNDER MEDICARE.

    (a) In General.--Section 1833(a)(1)(F)(ii) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(1)(F)(ii)) is amended to read as follows: 
``(ii) the amount determined by a fee schedule established by the 
Secretary,''.
    (b) Definition of Clinical Social Worker Services Expanded.--
Section 1861(hh)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(hh)(2)) is amended by 
striking ``services performed by a clinical social worker (as defined 
in paragraph (1))'' and inserting ``such services and such services and 
supplies furnished as an incident to such services performed by a 
clinical social worker (as defined in paragraph (1))''.
    (c) Clinical Social Worker Services Not To Be Included in Inpatient 
Hospital Services.--Section 1861(b)(4) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395x(b)(4)) is amended by striking ``and services'' and inserting 
``clinical social worker services, and services''.
    (d) Treatment of Services Furnished in Inpatient Setting.--Section 
1832(a)(2)(B)(iii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395k(a)(2)(B)(iii)) is 
amended by striking ``and services'' and inserting ``clinical social 
worker services, and services''.
    (e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
become effective with respect to payments made for clinical social 
worker services furnished on or after January 1, 1998.
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