[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 632 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 632

  To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a 
 study on mortality and adverse outcome rates of Medicare patients of 
       providers of anesthesia services, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 9, 1999

 Mr. Weldon of Florida (for himself, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Stearns, 
  Mr. Bentsen, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. 
  Brady of Texas, Mr. Hall of Texas, Mr. McCollum, Mr. Rothman, Mrs. 
  Myrick, Mr. Pallone, and Mr. Talent) 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 require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a 
 study on mortality and adverse outcome rates of Medicare patients of 
       providers of anesthesia services, 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 ``Safe Seniors Assurance Study Act of 
1999''.

SEC. 2. ANESTHESIA OUTCOME STUDY.

    (a) Study.--(1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
conduct a study of mortality and adverse outcome rates of medicare 
patients by providers of anesthesia services. In conducting the study, 
the Secretary shall analyze the impact of physician supervision of 
providers of anesthesia services, or lack thereof, on such mortality 
and adverse outcome rates.
    (2) In conducting the study, the Secretary shall consult with 
appropriate national professional organizations with respect to the 
methodology of the study, and shall use medicare operating room 
anesthesia data, adjusted for patient acuity and other relevant 
scientific variables.
    (b) Report.--Not later than June 30, 2000, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report containing the results of the study 
conducted under subsection (a).
    (c) Consideration of Report in Rulemaking.--If the Secretary 
determines that the lack of physician supervision of providers of 
anesthesia services results in an adverse impact on outcome rates of 
medicare patients, then providers of anesthesia services furnished 
under the medicare or medicaid program shall be supervised by a 
physician in the same manner as such providers are supervised under 
regulations of the Department of Health and Human Services in effect on 
January 1, 1999.
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