TITLE VI--PROVISIONS RELATING TO PART B
Subtitle A--Provisions Relating to Physicians' Services
SEC. 606. MEDPAC REPORT ON PAYMENT FOR PHYSICIANS' SERVICES.
(a) PRACTICE EXPENSE COMPONENT- Not later than
1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Medicare Payment Advisory
Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the effect of refinements to
the practice expense component of payments for physicians' services, after the
transition to a full resource-based payment system in 2002, under section 1848
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4). Such report shall examine the
following matters by physician specialty:
(1) The effect of such refinements
on payment for physicians' services.
(2) The interaction of the practice
expense component with other components of and adjustments to payment for
physicians' services under such section.
(3) The appropriateness of the amount
of compensation by reason of such refinements.
(4) The effect of such refinements
on access to care by medicare beneficiaries to physicians' services.
(5) The effect of such refinements
on physician participation under the medicare program.
(b) VOLUME OF PHYSICIANS' SERVICES- Not later
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Medicare Payment
Advisory Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the extent to which
increases in the volume of physicians' services under part B of the medicare
program are a result of care that improves the health and well-being of medicare
beneficiaries. The study shall include the following:
(1) An analysis of recent and historic
growth in the components that the Secretary includes under the sustainable
growth rate (under section 1848(f) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(f))).
(2) An examination of the relative
growth of volume in physicians' services between medicare beneficiaries and
other populations.
(3) An analysis of the degree to which
new technology, including coverage determinations of the Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services, has affected the volume of physicians' services.
(4) An examination of the impact on
volume of demographic changes.
(5) An examination of shifts in the
site of service or services that influence the number and intensity of services
furnished in physicians' offices and the extent to which changes in reimbursement
rates to other providers have effected these changes.
(6) An evaluation of the extent to
which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services takes into account
the impact of law and regulations on the sustainable growth rate.
