TITLE VI--PROVISIONS RELATING TO PART B
Subtitle D--Additional Demonstrations, Studies, and Other Provisions
SEC. 643. MEDPAC STUDY OF COVERAGE OF SURGICAL FIRST ASSISTING
SERVICES OF CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE FIRST ASSISTANTS.
(a) STUDY- The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
(in this section referred to as the `Commission') shall conduct a study on the
feasibility and advisability of providing for payment under part B of title
XVIII of the Social Security Act for surgical first assisting services furnished
by a certified registered nurse first assistant to medicare beneficiaries.
(b) REPORT- Not later than January 1, 2005,
the Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under
subsection (a) together with recommendations for such legislation or administrative
action as the Commission determines to be appropriate.
(c) DEFINITIONS- In this section:
(1) SURGICAL FIRST ASSISTING SERVICES-
The term `surgical first assisting services' means services consisting of
first assisting a physician with surgery and related preoperative, intraoperative,
and postoperative care (as determined by the Secretary) furnished by a certified
registered nurse first assistant (as defined in paragraph (2)) which the certified
registered nurse first assistant is legally authorized to perform by the State
in which the services are performed.
(2) CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE FIRST
ASSISTANT- The term `certified registered nurse first assistant' means an
individual who--
(A) is a registered nurse and
is licensed to practice nursing in the State in which the surgical first
assisting services are performed;
(B) has completed a minimum
of 2,000 hours of first assisting a physician with surgery and related preoperative,
intraoperative, and postoperative care; and
(C) is certified as a registered
nurse first assistant by an organization recognized by the Secretary.
