[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5704 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5704

   To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a 
   budget-neutral two-year moratorium on certain Medicare physician 
                payment reductions for imaging services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 28, 2006

Mr. Pitts (for himself, Mr. Ferguson, Mr. English of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
 Bass, Mr. Gillmor, Mr. Hall, Mr. Norwood, Mr. Pickering, Mr. Shimkus, 
   Mrs. Capps, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr. 
Inslee, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Ross, Mr. Towns, Mr. Wynn, Mrs. McCarthy, Mr. 
Brady of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia, Mr. McNulty, Mr. 
 Miller of Florida, Mr. Dent, Mr. Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Mr. Sam 
    Johnson of Texas, Mr. LaTourette, Mr. LoBiondo, Mr. Peterson of 
    Pennsylvania, Mr. Price of Georgia, Mr. Ramstad, Mr. Schwarz of 
     Michigan, Mr. Saxton, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Souder, Mr. Weldon of 
   Pennsylvania, Mr. Weller, Mr. Boyd, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Crowley, Mr. 
 Hinchey, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, and Mr. Jefferson) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
  Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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 amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a 
   budget-neutral two-year moratorium on certain Medicare physician 
                payment reductions for imaging services.

    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 ``Access to Medicare Imaging Act of 
2006''.

SEC. 2. BUDGET-NEUTRAL TWO-YEAR MORATORIUM ON CERTAIN MEDICARE 
              PHYSICIAN PAYMENT REDUCTIONS FOR IMAGING SERVICES.

    (a) Moratorium.--Subsections (b)(4)(A) and (c)(2)(B)(v)(II) of 
section 1848 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4), as added 
by section 5102 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, are each amended 
by striking ``2007'' and inserting ``2009''.
    (b) Budget Neutrality.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law 
        (including subclause (II) of section 1848(c)(2)(B)(ii) of the 
        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(c)(2)(B)(ii)), for 2007 
        and for 2008 the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
        reduce the payment amounts otherwise provided under this part 
        and part A (and not under parts C and D) in a manner so as to 
        provide for a reduction in aggregate expenditures under this 
        part and part A for each such year of an amount equivalent to 
        the increase in expenditures under such section for such year 
        that the Secretary estimates will result from the application 
        of the amendments made by subsection (a).
            (2) No effect on subsequent periods.--The reduction in 
        payment effected under paragraph (1) for a year shall not apply 
        to (or be taken into account in) the computation of payment 
        amounts for a subsequent year.
    (c) GAO Study on Patient Access to Imaging Services.--
            (1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United 
        States shall conduct a comprehensive study on patient access 
        and service issues relating to the availability and quality of 
        imaging services in physician offices and freestanding clinics 
        that would have resulted (but for subsection (a)) from payment 
        changes made by the amendments made by section 5102(b) of the 
        Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
            (2) Details.--Such study also shall examine--
                    (A) reductions in review application to multiple 
                procedure reductions multiple procedures and additional 
                reductions associated with changes in physician 
                practice expense, with particular attention to rural 
                and medically underserved areas; and
                    (B) the appropriateness of using the hospital 
                outpatient department prospective payment system 
                methodology to set reimbursement under the medicare 
                program for all imaging services, regardless of site of 
                service.
            (3) Report.--Not later than July 31, 2008, the Comptroller 
        General shall submit to Congress and the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services a report on the study under this subsection 
        and shall include in the report such recommendations regarding 
        extending the moratorium imposed under the amendments made by 
        subsection (a) or such other changes in medicare reimbursement 
        for imaging services as the Comptroller General deems 
        appropriate.
                                 <all>