[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3167 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3167

   To establish a physician recruitment and retention demonstration 
  project under the medicare program under title XVIII of the Social 
                             Security Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

            October 5 (legislative day, September 22), 2000

 Mr. Domenici (for himself and Mr. Bingaman) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a physician recruitment and retention demonstration 
  project under the medicare program under title XVIII of the Social 
                             Security Act.

    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 ``Physician Recruitment and Retention 
Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. MEDICARE PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION DEMONSTRATION 
              PROJECT.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in 
this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall establish a 
demonstration project for the purpose of improving--
            (1) access to health care for beneficiaries under part B of 
        the medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1395j et seq.); and
            (2) the ability of States to recruit and retain physicians.
    (b) Conduct of Demonstration Project.--
            (1) Demonstration sites.--The demonstration project under 
        this section shall be conducted in 2 sites, which shall be 
        statewide.
            (2) Recruitment and retention of physicians.--Under the 
        demonstration project, the Secretary shall increase by 5 
        percent payments for physicians' services (as defined in 
        section 1861(q) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(q)) 
        under section 1848 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4) to 
        physicians furnishing such services in any State that submits 
        an application under paragraph (3) that is approved by the 
        Secretary under paragraph (4).
            (3) Application.--Any State wishing to participate in the 
        demonstration program shall submit an application to the 
        Secretary at such time, in such manner, and in such form as the 
        Secretary may reasonably require.
            (4) Approval.--The Secretary shall approve the applications 
        of 2 States that, based upon 1998 data, have--
                    (A) an uninsured population above 20 percent (as 
                determined by the Bureau of the Census);
                    (B) a population eligible for medical assistance 
                under the medicaid program under title XIX of the 
                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) above 17 
                percent (as determined by the Health Care Financing 
                Administration);
                    (C) an unemployment rate above 4.8 percent (as 
                determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics);
                    (D) an average per capita income below $21,200 (as 
                determined by the Bureau of Economic Analysis); and
                    (E) a geographic practice cost indices component of 
                the reimbursement rate for physicians under the 
                medicare program that is below the national average (as 
                determined by the Health Care Financing 
                Administration).
            (5) Duration.--The demonstration project under this section 
        shall be conducted for a period of 3 years.
    (c) Waiver Authority.--The Secretary may waive such requirements of 
the medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) to the extent and for the period that the 
Secretary determines is necessary for carrying out the demonstration 
project under this section.
    (d) GAO Study and Report.--
            (1) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States 
        shall conduct a study on the demonstration project conducted 
        under this section to determine whether the access of 
        beneficiaries under the medicare program to health care and the 
        ability of States to recruit and retain physicians is--
                    (A) adversely impacted by the factors described in 
                subparagraphs (A) through (E) of subsection (b)(4); and
                    (B) improved by increased payments to physicians 
                under subsection (b)(2).
            (2) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the Secretary 
        completes the demonstration project under this section, the 
        Comptroller General of the United States shall submit a report 
        on the results of the study conducted under paragraph (1) to 
        the appropriate committees of Congress.
    (e) Appropriation.--There are hereby appropriated $50,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003 to carry out the provisions 
of this section. Such sums shall remain available until expended.
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