I 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2784 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 10, 2009 Mr. Thornberry introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To establish a loan repayment program for qualifying physicians and nurse practitioners participating in the Medicare Program.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Partnership to Improve Seniors Access to Medicare Act.

2.

Loan repayment program for qualifying physicians and nurse practitioners participating in Medicare

(a)

Loans

The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the Secretary) shall establish a program of entering into contracts with eligible individuals under which— (1)the eligible individual agrees— (A)to serve as a physician or nurse practitioner who is a participating physician or supplier (as defined in section 1842(h)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(h)(1))); and (B)subject to subsection (b), to accept, to the greatest extent possible, Medicare individuals who seek the services of such eligible individual; and (2)the Secretary agrees to pay on behalf of the eligible individual, for each year the eligible individual is in compliance with subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1), not more than $20,000 of the principal and interest on government and commercial loans received by the eligible individual regarding the undergraduate or graduate education (or both) of the eligible individual. (b)

Requirement

(1)

In general

Subject to paragraph (2), for an eligible individual to be in compliance with subsection (a)(1)(B) with respect to a year, at least 30 percent of the number of individuals to whom the eligible individual furnishes services during such year must be Medicare individuals. (2)

Application to group practices

In the case of an eligible individual in a medical group practice, for such individual to be in compliance with subsection (a)(1)(B) with respect to a year, at least 30 percent of the number of individuals to whom such group practice furnishes services during such year must be Medicare individuals. (c)

Eligible individuals

In this section, the term eligible individual means an individual who— (1)has a degree in medicine or osteopathic medicine or who is certified as a nurse practitioner; and (2)submits to the Secretary an application for a contract described in subsection (a), in a manner and time, and containing such information, as specified by the Secretary. (d)

Medicare individual defined

In this section, the term Medicare individual means an individual who is entitled to benefits under part A of title XVIII of the Social Security Act and enrolled under part B of such title. (e)

Authorization of Appropriations

To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2014.