[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 548 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 548

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide enhanced 
reimbursement for, and expanded capacity to, mammography services under 
             the medicare program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 15, 2001

 Mr. Harkin (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Murkowski, Mrs. 
Murray, Mr. Schumer, and Mr. Reid) 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 enhanced 
reimbursement for, and expanded capacity to, mammography 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Assure Access to Mammography Act of 
2001''.

  TITLE I--ENHANCED REIMBURSEMENT FOR SCREENING MAMMOGRAPHY UNDER THE 
                            MEDICARE PROGRAM

SEC. 101. ENHANCED REIMBURSEMENT UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM FOR 
              SCREENING MAMMOGRAPHIES FURNISHED IN 2002.

    (a) One-Year Delay of Inclusion of Payment for Screening 
Mammography in Physician Fee Schedule.--Section 104(c) of the Medicare, 
Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (as 
enacted into law by section 1(a)(6) of Public Law 106-554) is amended 
by striking ``January 1, 2002'' and inserting ``January 1, 2003''.
    (b) Change in Payment Amount.--Section 1834(c)(3)(A) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(c)(3)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in the heading, by striking ``$55, indexed.--'' and 
        inserting ``In general.--'';
            (2) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (3) in clause (ii)--
                    (A) by striking ``a subsequent year'' and inserting 
                ``1992 through 2001,''; and
                    (B) by striking ``that subsequent year.'' and 
                inserting ``that year, and''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(iii) for screening mammography performed 
                        in 2002, is $90.''.
    (c) Effective Dates.--
            (1) BIPA amendment.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
        shall take effect as if included in the enactment of section 
        104 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement 
        and Protection Act of 2000 (as enacted into law by section 
        1(a)(6) of Public Law 106-554).
            (2) Mammography in 2002.--The amendments made by subsection 
        (b) shall apply with respect to screening mammographies 
        furnished during 2002.
    (d) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed as 
affecting the provisions of section 104(d) of the Medicare, Medicaid, 
and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (as enacted 
into law by section 1(a)(6) of Public Law 106-554) (relating to payment 
for new technologies).

          TITLE II--EXPANDED CAPACITY FOR MAMMOGRAPHY SERVICES

SEC. 201. NOT COUNTING CERTAIN RADIOLOGY RESIDENTS AGAINST GRADUATE 
              MEDICAL EDUCATION LIMITATIONS.

    For cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2001, 
and before October 1, 2006, in applying the limitations regarding the 
total number of full-time equivalent residents in the field of 
allopathic or osteopathic medicine under subsections (d)(5)(B)(v) and 
(h)(4)(F) of section 1886 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww) 
for a hospital, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall not 
take into account a maximum of 3 residents in the field of radiology to 
the extent the hospital increases the number of radiology residents 
above the number of such residents for the hospital's most recent cost 
reporting period ending before October 1, 2001.

SEC. 202. ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL FUNDING.

    Section 757 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294g) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following 
        new subsection:
    ``(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this part--
            ``(1) $55,600,000 for fiscal year 1998;
            ``(2) such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal 
        years 1999 through 2001;
            ``(3) $70,600,000 for fiscal year 2002; and
            ``(4) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003 
        and each subsequent fiscal year.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)(1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``, 754, and 
                755.'' and inserting ``and 754; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(D) not less than $15,000,000 for awards of 
                grants and contracts under section 755.''.

  TITLE III--STUDIES AND REPORTS ON MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT FOR GENDER-
                    SPECIFIC AND SCREENING SERVICES

SEC. 301. GAO STUDY AND REPORT ON MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT FOR GENDER-
              SPECIFIC SERVICES.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study of the relative value units established by the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services under the medicare physician fee 
schedule under section 1848 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395w-4) for physicians' services that are gender-specific.
    (b) Report.--Not later than December 31, 2001, the Comptroller 
General shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under 
subsection (a), together with such recommendations regarding the 
appropriateness of adjusting the relative value units for physicians' 
services that are gender-specific as the Comptroller General determines 
appropriate.

SEC. 302. MEDPAC STUDY AND REPORT ON MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT FOR 
              SCREENING SERVICES.

    (a) Study.--The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission shall conduct 
a study of the relative value units established by the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services under the medicare physician fee schedule 
under section 1848 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4) for 
screening services that are reimbursed under such fee schedule.
    (b) Report.--Not later than March 1, 2002, the Commission shall 
submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under subsection 
(a), together with such recommendations regarding the appropriateness 
of adjusting the relative value units for screening services that are 
reimbursed under the physician fee schedule as the Comptroller General 
determines appropriate.
                                 <all>