[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1774 Introduced in House (IH)]

110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1774

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a separate 
 definition of outpatient speech-language pathology services under the 
   Medicare Program in order that direct payment to speech-language 
          pathologists may be made under the Medicare Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 29, 2007

Mr. Butterfield (for himself, Mr. Inslee, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Ferguson, and 
Ms. Schwartz) 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 establish a separate 
 definition of outpatient speech-language pathology services under the 
   Medicare Program in order that direct payment to speech-language 
          pathologists may be made 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. MEDICARE SEPARATE DEFINITION OF OUTPATIENT SPEECH-LANGUAGE 
              PATHOLOGY SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Section 1861(ll) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x(ll)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 
        (3) and (4), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(2) The term `outpatient speech-language pathology 
        services' has the meaning given the term `outpatient physical 
        therapy services' in subsection (p), except that in applying 
        such subsection--
                    ``(A) `speech-language pathology' shall be 
                substituted for `physical therapy' each place it 
                appears; and
                    ``(B) `speech-language pathologist' shall be 
                substituted for `physical therapist' each place it 
                appears.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Section 1832(a)(2)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1395k(a)(2)(C)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``and outpatient'' and inserting 
                ``, outpatient''; and
                    (B) by inserting before the period at the end the 
                following: ``, and outpatient speech-language pathology 
                services (other than services to which the second 
                sentence of section 1861(p) applies through the 
                application of section 1861(ll)(2))''.
            (2) Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 1833(a)(8) of such 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(8)) are each amended by striking 
        ``(which includes outpatient speech-language pathology 
        services)'' and inserting ``, outpatient speech-language 
        pathology services,''.
            (3) Section 1833(g)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(g)(1)) 
        is amended--
                    (A) by inserting ``and speech-language pathology 
                services of the type described in such section through 
                the application of section 1861(ll)(2)'' after 
                ``1861(p)''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``and speech-language pathology 
                services'' after ``and physical therapy services''.
            (4) The second sentence of section 1835(a) of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1395n(a)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``section 1861(g)'' and inserting 
                ``subsection (g) or (ll)(2) of section 1861'' each 
                place it appears; and
                    (B) by inserting ``or outpatient speech-language 
                pathology services, respectively'' after ``occupational 
                therapy services''.
            (5) Section 1861(p) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(p)) is 
        amended by striking the fourth sentence.
            (6) Section 1861(s)(2)(D) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1395x(s)(2)(D)) is amended by inserting ``, outpatient speech-
        language pathology services,'' after ``physical therapy 
        services''.
            (7) Section 1862(a)(20) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1395y(a)(20)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``outpatient occupational therapy 
                services or outpatient physical therapy services'' and 
                inserting ``outpatient physical therapy services, 
                outpatient speech-language pathology services, or 
                outpatient occupational therapy services''; and
                    (B) by striking ``section 1861(g)'' and inserting 
                ``subsection (g) or (ll)(2) of section 1861''.
            (8) Section 1866(e)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395cc(e)(1)) 
        is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``section 1861(g)'' and inserting 
                ``subsection (g) or (ll)(2) of section 1861'' the first 
                two places it appears;
                    (B) by striking ``therein) or'' and inserting 
                ``therein),''; and
                    (C) by inserting before the semicolon at the end 
                the following: ``, or (through the operation of section 
                1861(ll)(2)) with respect to the furnishing of 
                outpatient speech-language pathology''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to services furnished on or after January 1, 2008.
    (d) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to 
affect existing regulations and policies of the Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid Services that require physician oversight of care as a 
condition of payment for speech-language pathology services under part 
B of the medicare program.
                                 <all>