[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5445 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5445

 To amend part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase 
 Medicare payments for physicians' services through December 31, 2009.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 14, 2008

Mr. Price of Georgia (for himself and Mr. Scott of Georgia) 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 part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase 
 Medicare payments for physicians' services through December 31, 2009.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to allow adequate time for Congress to 
determine an appropriate long-term solution for Medicare physician 
reimbursement rates.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN MEDICARE PHYSICIAN PAYMENTS THROUGH 2009.

    Section 1848(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(d)), 
as amended by section 101(a) of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP 
Extension Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-173), is amended by adding at the 
end the following new paragraph:
            ``(9) Update for remainder of 2008 and for 2009.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to paragraphs (7)(B) and 
                (8)(B), in lieu of the update to the single conversion 
                factor established in paragraph (1)(C) that would 
                otherwise apply--
                            ``(i) for 2008, for the period beginning on 
                        July 1, 2008, and ending on December 31, 2008, 
                        the update to the single conversion factor 
                        shall be 1.0 percent; or
                            ``(ii) for 2009, the update to the single 
                        conversion factor shall be 1.8 percent.
                    ``(B) No effect on computation of conversion factor 
                for 2010 and subsequent years.--The conversion factor 
                under this subsection shall be computed under paragraph 
                (1)(A)--
                            ``(i) for 2009, treating the update under 
                        subparagraph (A)(i) as if it had applied for 
                        the entire period of 2008; and
                            ``(ii) for 2010 and subsequent years as if 
                        subparagraph (A) had never applied.''.
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