[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 24 (Monday, February 10, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           PROVIDING FOR EXTENSION OF ENFORCEMENT INSTRUCTION

  Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Finance 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 1954 and the 
Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1954) to provide for the extension of the 
     enforcement instruction on supervision requirements for 
     outpatient therapeutic services in critical access and small 
     rural hospitals through 2014.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. BEGICH. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read for a third 
time, passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 1954) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 1954

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

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF ENFORCEMENT INSTRUCTION ON 
                   SUPERVISION REQUIREMENTS FOR OUTPATIENT 
                   THERAPEUTIC SERVICES IN CRITICAL ACCESS AND 
                   SMALL RURAL HOSPITALS THROUGH 2014.

         The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall continue 
     to apply through calendar year 2014 the enforcement 
     instruction described in the notice of the Centers for 
     Medicare & Medicaid Services entitled ``Enforcement 
     Instruction on Supervision Requirements for Outpatient 
     Therapeutic Services in Critical Access and Small Rural 
     Hospitals for CY 2013'', dated November 1, 2012 (providing 
     for an exception to the restatement and clarification under 
     the final rulemaking changes to the Medicare hospital 
     outpatient prospective payment system and calendar year 2009 
     payment rates (published in the Federal Register on November 
     18, 2008, 73 Fed. Reg. 68702 through 68704) with respect to 
     requirements for direct supervision by physicians for 
     therapeutic hospital outpatient services).

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