[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 847 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 847

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to exclude clinical 
social worker services from coverage under the Medicare skilled nursing 
                  facility prospective payment system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 21, 1999

  Ms. Mikulski (for herself, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Wyden, Mr. 
   Johnson, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Reid, and Mr. Bingaman) 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 exclude clinical 
social worker services from coverage under the Medicare skilled nursing 
                  facility prospective payment system.

    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 Social Work Equity Act of 
1999''.

SEC. 2. EXCLUDING CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER SERVICES FROM COVERAGE UNDER 
              THE MEDICARE SKILLED NURSING FACILITY PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT 
              SYSTEM AND CONSOLIDATED PAYMENT.

    (a) In General.--Section 1888(e)(2)(A)(ii) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395yy(e)(2)(A)(ii)) is amended by inserting ``clinical 
social worker services,'' after ``qualified psychologist services,''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1861(hh)(2) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x(hh)(2)) is amended by striking ``and other than services 
furnished to an inpatient of a skilled nursing facility which the 
facility is required to provide as a requirement for participation''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section apply as 
if included in the enactment of section 4432(a) of the Balanced Budget 
Act of 1997.
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