[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1605 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1605

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for payment 
 under the Medicare Program for four hemodialysis treatments per week 
    for certain patients, to provide for an increased update in the 
composite payment rate for dialysis treatments, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 31, 2001

 Mr. Conrad (for himself and Mr. Frist) 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 for payment 
 under the Medicare Program for four hemodialysis treatments per week 
    for certain patients, to provide for an increased update in the 
composite payment rate for dialysis treatments, 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 ``Medicare Dialysis Benefit 
Improvement Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. COVERAGE OF FOUR HEMODIALYSIS TREATMENTS PER WEEK.

    (a) In General.--Section 1881(b) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395rr(b)) is amended by inserting after the first sentence the 
following: ``Payment shall be made under this paragraph for a fourth 
hemodialysis treatment session per week for pediatric patients, 
patients who weigh more than 80 kilograms, or for patients with a 
fluid-induced cardiovascular disease (as determined by the Secretary), 
and the Secretary shall provide for payment for such fourth treatment 
session at the same per session composite rate that otherwise applies 
under this paragraph.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply to dialysis services furnished on or after January 1, 2002.

SEC. 3. UPDATE IN RENAL DIALYSIS COMPOSITE RATE FOR 2002.

    The last sentence of section 1881(b) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395rr(b)), as amended by section 422(a) of the Medicare, 
Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 
(114 Stat. 2763A-516), as enacted into law by section 1(a)(6) of Public 
Law 106-554, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' before ``for such services''; and
            (2) by inserting before the period the following: ``and for 
        such services furnished on or after January 1, 2002, by 2.6 
        percent above such composite rate payment amounts for such 
        services furnished on December 31, 2001''.

SEC. 4. RESTORATION OF EXCEPTION TO COMPOSITE RATES.

    (a) In General.--Section 422(a) of the Medicare, Medicaid, and 
SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (114 Stat. 2763A-
516), as enacted into law by section 1(a)(6) of Public Law 106-554, is 
amended by striking paragraph (2) (relating to prohibition on 
exceptions).
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect as if included in the enactment of such section 422(a).
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