[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6118 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6118

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit a physician 
  assistant, when delegated by a physician, to order or provide post-
hospital extended care services, home health services, and hospice care 
                      under the Medicare Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 20, 2006

 Mr. Hayworth introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy 
    and Commerce, 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 permit a physician 
  assistant, when delegated by a physician, to order or provide post-
hospital extended care services, home health services, and hospice care 
                      under the Medicare Program.

    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 Physician Assistant 
Continuity of Care Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. PERMITTING PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS WHEN DELEGATED BY A PHYSICIAN 
              TO ORDER OR PROVIDE POST-HOSPITAL EXTENDED CARE SERVICES, 
              HOME HEALTH SERVICES, AND HOSPICE CARE UNDER THE MEDICARE 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) Post-Hospital Extended Care Services.--Section 1814(a)(2) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395f(a)(2)) is amended, in the 
matter before subparagraph (A)--
            (1) by inserting ``or a physician assistant as delegated by 
        a physician'' after ``a physician'' the first place it appears; 
        and
            (2) by inserting ``a physician assistant as delegated by a 
        physician,'' after ``a physician,'' the second place it 
        appears.
    (b) Home Health Services.--
            (1) Under part a.--Section 1814(a)(2)(C) of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1395f(a)(2)(C)) is amended--
                    (A) by inserting ``by a physician or by a physician 
                assistant as delegated by a physician,'' after 
                ``established''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``or a physician assistant as 
                delegated by a physician'' after ``a physician'' each 
                place it appears.
            (2) Under part b.--Section 1835(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S. 
        C. 1395n(a)(2)) is amended--
                    (A) in the matter before subparagraph (A), by 
                inserting ``or a physician assistant as delegated by a 
                physician,'' after ``a physician''; and
                    (B) in each of clauses (ii) and (iii) of 
                subparagraph (A)(ii), by inserting ``or a physician 
                assistant as delegated by a physician'' after ``a 
                physician''.
    (c) Hospice Care.--
            (1) Certification of terminal illness.--Section 
        1814(a)(7)(A) of such Act is (42 U.S.C. 1395f(a)(7)(A)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) in clause (i)(I), by inserting ``or a physician 
                assistant as delegated by such attending physician'' 
                after ``nurse practitioner)''; and
                    (B) in clause (ii), by inserting ``or physician 
                assistant'' after ``physician''.
            (2) Including professional services of physician 
        assistant.--Section 1861(dd)(1)(F) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1395x(dd)(1)(F)) is amended by inserting after ``physicians' 
        services'' the following: ``and services which would be 
        physicians' services if furnished by a physician (as defined in 
        subsection (r)(1)) and which are performed by a physician 
        assistant under the supervision of a physician (as so defined) 
        and which the physician assistant is legally authorized to 
        perform in the State in which the services are performed''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to services furnished on or after January 1, 2007.
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