II 110th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1715 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 27, 2007 Ms. Snowe (for herself, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Smith, Mr. Biden, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Reed) 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 eliminate discriminatory copayment rates for outpatient psychiatric services under the Medicare program.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Medicare Mental Health Copayment Equity Act of 2007.

2.

Elimination of discriminatory copayment rates for medicare outpatient psychiatric services

Section 1833(c) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(c)) is amended to read as follows: (c)(1)Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, with respect to expenses incurred in a calendar year in connection with the treatment of mental, psychoneurotic, and personality disorders of an individual who is not an inpatient of a hospital at the time such expenses are incurred, there shall be considered as incurred expenses for purposes of subsections (a) and (b)— (A)for expenses incurred in any calendar year that begins before the date of enactment of the Medicare Mental Health Copayment Equity Act of 2007 (including the calendar year in which such Act is enacted), only 621/2 percent of such expenses; (B)for expenses incurred in the first calendar year that begins after the date of enactment of such Act, only 683/4 percent of such expenses; (C)for expenses incurred in the second calendar year that begins after the date of enactment of such Act, only 75 percent of such expenses; (D)for expenses incurred in the third calendar year that begins after the date of enactment of such Act, only 811/4 percent of such expenses; (E)for expenses incurred in the fourth calendar year that begins after the date of enactment of such Act, only 871/2 percent of such expenses; (F)for expenses incurred in the fifth calendar year that begins after the date of enactment of such Act, only 933/4 percent of such expenses; and (G)for expenses incurred in the sixth calendar year that begins after the date of enactment of such Act, or any subsequent calendar year, 100 percent of such expenses. (2)For purposes of subparagraphs (A) through (F) of paragraph (1), the term treatment does not include brief office visits (as defined by the Secretary) for the sole purpose of monitoring or changing drug prescriptions used in the treatment of such disorders or partial hospitalization services that are not directly provided by a physician. .