[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2785 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2785
To amend title XVIII of the Security Act to preserve access to
physicians' services under the Medicare program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 13, 2008
Ms. Stabenow introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Security Act to preserve access to
physicians' services 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Save Medicare Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. INCREASE IN MEDICARE PHYSICIAN PAYMENT UPDATE.
Section 1848(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(d)),
as amended by section 101 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP
Extension Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-173), is amended--
(1) in paragraph (8)--
(A) in the heading, by striking ``a portion of'';
(B) in subparagraph (A)--
(i) by striking ``(A) In general.--Subject
to'' and inserting ``Notwithstanding''; and
(ii) by striking ``for the period beginning
on January 1, 2008, and ending on June 30,
2008,'';
(C) by striking subparagraph (B); and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(9) Update for 2009.--In lieu of the update to the single
conversion factor established in paragraph (1)(C) that would
otherwise apply for 2009, the update to the single conversion
factor shall be 1.8 percent.''.
SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF THE PHYSICIAN QUALITY REPORTING SYSTEM.
(a) System.--Section 1848(k)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395w-4(k)(2)(B)), as amended by section 101 of the Medicare,
Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-173), is
amended--
(1) in the heading, by striking ``and 2009'' and inserting
``, 2009, and 2010'';
(2) in clause (i), by striking ``and 2009'' and inserting
``, 2009, and 2010''; and
(3) in each of clauses (ii) and (iii)--
(A) by striking ``and 2008'' and inserting ``,
2008, and 2009''; and
(B) by striking ``or 2009'' and inserting ``, 2009,
or 2010''.
(b) Reporting.--Section 101(c) of division B of the Tax Relief and
Health Care Act of 2006 (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4 note), as amended by section
101 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (Public
Law 110-173), is amended--
(1) in the heading, by striking ``and 2008'' and inserting
``, 2008, and 2009''; and
(2) in paragraph (6)(C)--
(A) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new clause:
``(iii) for 2009, all of 2009.''.
SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF MEDICARE INCENTIVE PAYMENT PROGRAM FOR PHYSICIAN
SCARCITY AREAS.
Section 1833(u) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(u)), as
amended by section 102 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension
Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-173), is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``July 1, 2008'' and
inserting ``January 1, 2010''; and
(2) in subparagraph (4)(D), by striking ``July 1, 2008''
and inserting ``January 1, 2010''.
SEC. 5. EXTENSION OF FLOOR ON MEDICARE WORK GEOGRAPHIC ADJUSTMENT UNDER
THE MEDICARE PHYSICIAN FEE SCHEDULE.
Section 1848(e)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-
4(e)(1), as amended by section 103 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP
Extension Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-173), is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding clause
(i), by striking ``subparagraphs (B)'' through ``the
Secretary'' and inserting ``the succeeding provisions of this
paragraph, the Secretary''; and
(2) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``July 1, 2008'' and
inserting ``January 1, 2010''.
SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF ACCOMMODATION OF PHYSICIANS ORDERED TO ACTIVE DUTY
IN THE ARMED SERVICES.
Section 1842(b)(6)(D)(iii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395u(b)(6)(D)(iii)), as amended by section 116 of the Medicare,
Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-173), is
amended by striking ``July 1, 2008'' and inserting ``January 1, 2010''.
SEC. 7. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
It is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) the provisions of, and amendments made by, this Act
should be deficit neutral over the 5-year period beginning on
October 1, 2008; and
(2) Congress should address the challenges facing the
Medicare program in a fiscally responsible manner.
SEC. 8. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING QUALITY.
It is the Sense of the Senate that--
(1) the Medicare program should provide payments to
physicians and other health professionals that serve as
positive incentives for participation in voluntary initiatives
to improve health care quality;
(2) such initiatives should include pay-for-reporting
programs, programs to facilitate coordination of care, the use
of clinical appropriateness criteria developed by organizations
representing physicians and other health care professionals,
grants for developing and pilot testing data registry systems,
grants for participation in such data registries, and other
appropriate initiatives; and
(3) financing for such initiatives should be non-punitive
and exempt from the Medicare physician fee schedule budget
neutrality requirements.
<all>