[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1574 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1574

   To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a 
       minimum update for physicians' services for 2006 and 2007.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 29, 2005

Ms. Cantwell (for herself, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Rockefeller, Mrs. Lincoln, 
Mrs. Murray, and Mr. Corzine) 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 a 
       minimum update for physicians' services for 2006 and 2007.

    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 ``Affordable Access to Medicare 
Providers Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. MINIMUM UPDATE FOR PHYSICIANS' SERVICES FOR 2006 AND 2007.

    (a) Minimum Update.--
            (1) In general.--Section 1848(d) of the Social Security Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(d)) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new paragraphs:
            ``(6) Update for 2006.--The update to the single conversion 
        factor established in paragraph (1)(C) for 2006 shall not be 
        less than 2.7 percent.
            ``(7) Update for 2007.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The update to the single 
                conversion factor established in paragraph (1)(C) for 
                2007 shall not be less than the product of--
                            ``(i) 1 plus the Secretary's estimate of 
                        the percentage change in the value of the input 
                        price index (as provided under subparagraph 
                        (B)(ii)) for 2007 (divided by 100); and
                            ``(ii) 1 minus the Secretary's estimate of 
                        the productivity adjustment factor under 
                        subparagraph (C) for 2007.
                    ``(B) Input price index.--
                            ``(i) Establishment.--Taking into account 
                        the mix of goods and services included in 
                        computing the medicare economic index (referred 
                        to in the fourth sentence of section 
                        1842(b)(3)), the Secretary shall establish an 
                        index that reflects the weighted-average input 
                        prices for physicians' services for 2006. Such 
                        index shall only account for input prices and 
                        not changes in costs that may result from other 
                        factors (such as productivity).
                            ``(ii) Annual estimate of change in 
                        index.--The Secretary shall estimate, before 
                        the beginning of 2007, the change in the value 
                        of the input price index under clause (i) from 
                        2006 to 2007.
                    ``(C) Productivity adjustment factor.--The 
                Secretary shall estimate, and cause to be published in 
                the Federal Register not later than November 1, 2006, a 
                productivity adjustment factor for 2007 that reflects 
                the Secretary's estimate of growth in multifactor 
                productivity in the national economy, taking into 
                account growth in productivity attributable to both 
                labor and nonlabor factors. Such adjustment may be 
                based on a multi-year moving average of productivity 
                (based on data published by the Bureau of Labor 
                Statistics).''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 1848(d)(4)(B) of the 
        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(d)(4)(B)) is amended, in 
        the matter preceding clause (i), by striking ``and paragraph 
        (5)'' and inserting ``paragraphs (5), (6), and (7)''.
    (b) Exclusion of Costs From Determination of Part B Monthly 
Premium.--Section 1839(g) (42 U.S.C. 1395r(g)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) the application of the amendments made by section 
        2(a) of the Affordable Access to Medicare Providers Act of 2005 
        (relating to a minimum update for physicians' services in 2006 
        and 2007).''.
                                 <all>