Medicare Access to Digital Mammography Act of 2000

Medicare Access to Digital Mammography Act of 2000 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise requirements for payments and standards for screening mammography that pertain to the limit for screening mammography performed in 1991 to: (1) specify the screening mammography performed in 1991 as nondigital; (2) establish a separate limit for digital screening mammography performed in 2001 and thereafter; and (3) replace the current reduction of limit provision with a provision for adjustment of limit (up or down), requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make at least annual reviews (currently, reviews from time to time) on the appropriateness of such applicable limits and make adjustments accordingly.

[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3112 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3112

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure access to 
digital mammography through adequate payment under the Medicare system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 26 (legislative day, September 22), 2000

 Mr. Abraham (for himself, Mr. Murkowski, and Mr. Mack) 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 ensure access to 
digital mammography through adequate payment under the Medicare system.

    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 ``Medicare Access to Digital 
Mammography Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. MEDICARE ACCESS TO DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY THROUGH ADEQUATE 
              PAYMENT.

    (a) In General.--Section 1834(c)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395m(c)(3)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)--
                    (A) in the heading, by striking ``$55, Indexed'' 
                and inserting ``In General'';
                    (B) in clause (i), by striking ``(i) for screening 
                mammography'' and inserting ``(i)(I) for nondigital 
                screening mammography''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end of clause (i) the 
                following new subclause:
                                    ``(II) for digital screening 
                                mammography performed in 2001, in $155 
                                (comprised of $130 for the technical 
                                component and $25 for the professional 
                                component), and''; and
            (2) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows:
                    ``(B) Adjustment of limit.--At least annually, the 
                Secretary shall review and solicit public comment on 
                the appropriateness of the amount of the applicable 
                limit established under this paragraph (including the 
                technical and professional components of such limit) 
                and shall adjust accordingly the amount of such limit 
                (and its components) as it applies nationally or in any 
                area to the amount that the Secretary estimates is 
                required--
                            ``(i) to assure that screening mammography 
                        of an appropriate quality is readily and 
                        conveniently available;
                            ``(ii) to assure access to advancing or 
                        enhanced mammography technologies; and
                            ``(iii) to reflect changes in productivity, 
                        training requirements for physicians and other 
                        personnel, equipment requirements, and other 
                        factors resulting from such advancements or 
                        enhancements.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 1834(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395m(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
        (B), by inserting ``, including digital screening mammography'' 
        after ``1861(jj))'';
            (2) in paragraphs (1)(C)(iii) and (3)(A)(ii), by inserting 
        ``applicable'' before ``limit''; and
            (3) in paragraph (3)(C), by inserting ``for nondigital 
        screening mammography'' before ``established''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section apply to 
digital screening mammography performed on or after January 1, 2001, 
without regard to whether regulations to carry out such amendments are 
promulgated by such date.
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