Medicare-Medicaid Miscellaneous and Technical Amendments of 1979

Medicare-Medicaid Miscellaneous and Technical Amendments of 1979 - Authorizes rural hospitals of fewer than 50 beds which have been granted a certificate of need for the provision of long-term care services to enter into agreements with the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under the Medicare and Medicaid programs (titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act), providing that their inpatient hospital facilities may be used to furnish services which if furnished by a skilled nursing facility would constitute post hospital extended care services. Authorizes, pursuant to such agreements, payment to be made for skilled nursing services and intermediate care services furnished by a hospital. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into such agreements on a demonstration basis with hospitals having between 50 and 100 beds if such hospitals meet the other requirements of this Act.

Declares that State plans for the provision of services under titles V (Maternal and Child Health and Crippled Children's Services) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act must require audits of the records of any entity providing services under such titles. Amends title XI (General Provisions and Professional Standards Review) of the Act to require, as a condition for payment to any State under title V or title XIX for costs incurred in the performance of audits of entities which also provide services under title XVIII, that such audits be coordinated with audits of entities performed for purposes of title XVIII.

Extends coverage under the Medicare program to all services performed by a dentist.

Amends title XVIII to include rural health facilities of 50 or fewer beds within the definition of the term "hospital." Makes special provisions with respect to nursing services, health, fire, and safety requirements for such facilities.

Authorizes payment, under the Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits program of Medicare, for antigens prepared by an allergist for a particular patient.

Authorizes payment of physician's fees for a deceased Medicare recipient to the spouse or legally designated representative of the recipient under specified circumstances.

Provides coverage under the Medicare program for optometrists' services with respect to aphakia.

Removes the 100 visit limitation presently applicable to home health services under the Medicare program. Eliminates prior hospitalization as a condition of eligibility for home health care services under such program.

Terminates the Health Insurance Benefits Advisory Council.

Authorizes the States to declare an individual ineligible for Medicaid benefits if such individual was found to have given away or sold for substantially less than its fair market value any asset which should have been included in such individual's resources in the determination of the individual's eligibility for benefits.

Extends for two years, until October 1, 1982, the funding of State Medicaid fraud control units.

Recognizes podiatrists as physicians for purposes of physician certification and participation in utilization review, where consistent with State law and the policies of the health care institutions involved.

Allows a speech pathologist, as well as a physician, to establish the plan of treatment for speech pathology services.

Repeals provisions of the Medicare program concerning the presumed coverage for extended care facilities and home health care in specified circumstances.

Directs the Secretary to specify those surgical procedures which can be safely and appropriately performed either in a hospital or an inpatient basis or on an ambulatory basis: (1) in a physician's office; or (2) in an ambulatory surgical center or hospital. Authorizes payment under the Medicare program for those ambulatory procedures not performed in a hospital. Directs the Secretary to establish with respect to each such surgical procedure an amount which is payable either to: (1) the physician for the excess costs in outfitting the physician's office to perform such procedures; or (2) the ambulatory surgical center for its services furnished in connection with such procedures. Stipulates that such amounts will be payable only upon assurances that the performance of such procedures will cost substantially less than the cost of performing such procedures on an inpatient basis in a hospital.

Allows States to purchase laboratory services for Medicaid through competitive bidding arrangements for a three-year experimental period. Requires such services to be from laboratories: (1) which are found by the Secretary to meet appropriate health and safety standards; (2) no more than 75 percent of whose charges for such services are under Medicare or Medicaid; and (3) which charge Medicaid at rates no higher than the lowest amount charged to others for similar tests. Directs the Secretary to send to Congress within one year an evaluation of such purchase arrangements, with recommendations as to extension or modification.

Authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements with 12 States for the purpose of conducting demonstration projects for the training and employment of individuals as homemakers or home health aides for the elderly, disabled, and other individuals who have been certified by the appropriate State or local government agency as being eligible for financial assistance under a State plan of Aid to Families with Dependent Children approved under title IV of the Social Security Act.

Directs the Secretary to submit annual reports to the Congress evaluating the demonstration projects.