A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to make the provision of technical services for medical imaging examinations and radiation therapy treatments safer, more accurate, and less costly.

Summary: Consumer Assurance of Radiologic Excellence Act of 2006 - (Sec. 3) Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards to ensure the safety and accuracy of medical imaging studies and radiation therapy treatments. Imposes such standards on personnel who perform, plan, or evaluate, or verify patient doses for, medical imaging studies and radiation therapy procedures and not on the equipment used. Exempts physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.

Directs the Secretary to ensure that individuals demonstrate compliance through successful completion of certification by a professional organization, licensure, completion of an examination, pertinent coursework or degree program, or verified pertinent experience.

Allows the standards to: (1) vary from discipline to discipline, represent expert consensus as to what constitutes excellence in practice, and be appropriate to the particular scope of care involved; (2) vary in form for each of the covered disciplines; and (3) exempt individual providers from meeting certain standards based on their scope of practice.

Requires the Secretary to provide a method for the recognition of individuals whose training and experience are determined to equal or exceed that of: (1) a graduate of an accredited educational program in that specialty; or (2) an individual who is regularly eligible to take the licensure or certification examination for that discipline.

Directs the Secretary to certify bodies for accreditation of various mechanisms by which an individual can demonstrate compliance with the standards. Requires the Secretary to establish minimum standards for certification, including assurances that the body will: (1) be a nonprofit organization; (2) comply with the established standards; and (3) notify the Secretary in a timely manner if it fails to comply. Allows the Secretary to withdraw certification upon determining the body does not meet the required standards.

Deems state standards for licensure or certification of personnel, accreditation of educational programs, or administration of examinations to be in compliance with standards under this Act unless the Secretary determines they do not meet minimum standards or are inconsistent with this Act. Requires the Secretary to establish an appeal process.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) evaluate the performance of each approved body; (2) ensure that programs that involve the performance of or payment for medical imaging or radiation therapy meet such standards; and (3) determine whether such standards must be met in their entirety in rural areas. Authorizes the Secretary to develop alternative standards for rural areas or health professional shortage areas to assure access to quality medical imaging.

Sets forth a timeline for the implementation of the standards under this Act.

(Sec. 4) Sets forth reporting requirements.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Consumer Assurance of Radiologic 
Excellence Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to improve the quality and value of 
healthcare by increasing the safety and accuracy of medical imaging 
examinations and radiation therapy treatments, thereby reducing 
duplication of services and decreasing costs.

SEC. 3. QUALITY OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION THERAPY.

    Part F of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

           ``Subpart 4--Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy

``SEC. 355. QUALITY OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION THERAPY.

    ``(a) Establishment of Standards.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with 
        recognized experts in the technical provision of medical 
        imaging and radiation therapy services, shall establish 
        standards to ensure the safety and accuracy of medical imaging 
        studies and radiation therapy treatments. Such standards shall 
        pertain to the personnel who perform, plan, evaluate, or verify 
        patient dose for medical imaging studies and radiation therapy 
        procedures and not to the equipment used.
            ``(2) Experts.--The Secretary shall select expert advisers 
        under paragraph (1) to reflect a broad and balanced input from 
        all sectors of the health care community that are involved in 
        the provision of such services to avoid undue influence from 
        any single sector of practice on the content of such standards.
            ``(3) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not take any action 
        under this subsection that would require licensure by a State 
        of those who provide the technical services referred to in this 
        subsection.
    ``(b) Exemptions.--The standards established under subsection (a) 
shall not apply to physicians (as defined in section 1861(r) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r))), nurse practitioners and 
physician assistants (as defined in section 1861(aa)(5) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)(5))).
    ``(c) Requirements.--
            ``(1) In general.--Under the standards established under 
        subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure that individuals, 
        prior to performing or planning medical imaging and radiation 
        therapy services, demonstrate compliance with the standards 
        established under subsection (a) through successful completion 
        of certification by a professional organization, licensure, 
        completion of an examination, pertinent coursework or degree 
        program, verified pertinent experience, or through other ways 
        determined appropriate by the Secretary, or through some 
        combination thereof.
            ``(2) Miscellaneous provisions.--The standards established 
        under subsection (a)--
                    ``(A) may vary from discipline to discipline, 
                reflecting the unique and specialized nature of the 
                technical services provided, and shall represent expert 
                consensus as to what constitutes excellence in practice 
                and be appropriate to the particular scope of care 
                involved;
                    ``(B) may vary in form for each of the covered 
                disciplines; and
                    ``(C) may exempt individual providers from meeting 
                certain standards based on their scope of practice.
            ``(3) Recognition of individuals with extensive practical 
        experience.--For purposes of this section, the Secretary shall, 
        through regulation, provide a method for the recognition of 
        individuals whose training or experience are determined to be 
        equal to, or in excess of, those of a graduate of an accredited 
        educational program in that specialty, or of an individual who 
        is regularly eligible to take the licensure or certification 
        examination for that discipline.
    ``(d) Approved Bodies.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than the date described in 
        subsection (j)(2), the Secretary shall begin to certify 
        qualified entities as approved bodies with respect to the 
        accreditation of the various mechanisms by which an individual 
        can demonstrate compliance with the standards promulgated under 
        subsection (a), if such organizations or agencies meet the 
        standards established by the Secretary under paragraph (2) and 
        provide the assurances required under paragraph (3).
            ``(2) Standards.--The Secretary shall establish minimum 
        standards for the certification of approved bodies under 
        paragraph (1) (including standards for recordkeeping, the 
        approval of curricula and instructors, the charging of 
        reasonable fees for certification or for undertaking 
        examinations, and standards to minimize the possibility of 
        conflicts of interest), and other additional standards as the 
        Secretary may require.
            ``(3) Assurances.--To be certified as an approved body 
        under paragraph (1), an organization or agency shall provide 
        the Secretary satisfactory assurances that the body will--
                    ``(A) be a nonprofit organization;
                    ``(B) comply with the standards described in 
                paragraph (2);
                    ``(C) notify the Secretary in a timely manner if 
                the body fails to comply with the standards described 
                in paragraph (2); and
                    ``(D) provide such other information as the 
                Secretary may require.
            ``(4) Withdrawal of approval.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may withdraw the 
                certification of an approved body if the Secretary 
                determines the body does not meet the standards under 
                paragraph (2).
                    ``(B) Effect of withdrawal.--The withdrawal of the 
                certification of an approved body under subparagraph 
                (A) shall have no effect on the certification status of 
                any individual or person that was certified by that 
                approved body prior to the date of such withdrawal.
    ``(e) Existing State Standards.--Standards established by a State 
for the licensure or certification of personnel, accreditation of 
educational programs, or administration of examinations shall be deemed 
to be in compliance with the standards of this section unless the 
Secretary determines that such State standards do not meet the minimum 
standards prescribed by the Secretary or are inconsistent with the 
purposes of this section. The Secretary shall establish a process by 
which a State may respond to or appeal a determination made by the 
Secretary under the preceding sentence.
    ``(f) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to prohibit a State or other approved body from requiring 
compliance with a higher standard of education and training than that 
specified by this section. Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
section, individuals who provide medical imaging services relating to 
mammograms shall continue to meet the standards applicable under the 
Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992.
    ``(g) Evaluation and Report.--The Secretary shall periodically 
evaluate the performance of each approved body under subsection (d) at 
an interval determined appropriate by the Secretary. The results of 
such evaluations shall be included as part of the report submitted to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate 
and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
Representatives in accordance with 354(e)(6)(B).
    ``(h) Delivery of and Payment for Services.--Not later than the 
date described in subsection (j)(3), the Secretary shall promulgate 
regulations to ensure that all programs under the authority of the 
Secretary that involve the performance of or payment for medical 
imaging or radiation therapy, are performed in accordance with the 
standards established under this section.
    ``(i) Alternative Standards for Rural and Underserved Areas.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall determine whether 
        the standards established under subsection (a) must be met in 
        their entirety for medical imaging or radiation therapy that is 
        performed in a geographic area that is determined by the 
        Medicare Geographic Classification Review Board to be a `rural 
        area' or that is designated as a health professional shortage 
        area. If the Secretary determines that alternative standards 
        for such rural areas or health professional shortage areas are 
        appropriate to assure access to quality medical imaging, the 
        Secretary is authorized to develop such alternative standards.
            ``(2) State discretion.--The chief executive officer of a 
        State may submit to the Secretary a statement declaring that an 
        alternative standard developed under paragraph (1) is 
        inappropriate for application to such State, and such 
        alternative standard shall not apply in such submitting State. 
        The chief executive officer of a State may rescind a statement 
        described in this paragraph following the provision of 
        appropriate notice to the Secretary.
    ``(j) Applicable Timelines.--
            ``(1) General implementation regulations.--Not later than 
        18 months after the date of enactment of this section, the 
        Secretary shall promulgate such regulations as may be necessary 
        to implement all standards in this section except those 
        provided for in subsection (d)(2).
            ``(2) Minimum standards for certification of approved 
        bodies.--Not later than 24 months after the date of enactment 
        of this section, the Secretary shall establish the standards 
        regarding approved bodies referred to in subsection (d)(2) and 
        begin certifying approved bodies under such subsection.
            ``(3) Regulations for delivery of or payment for 
        services.--Not later than 36 months after the date of enactment 
        of this section, the Secretary shall promulgate the regulations 
        described in subsection (h). The Secretary may withhold the 
        provision of Federal assistance as provided for in subsection 
        (h) beginning on the date that is 48 months after the date of 
        enactment of this section.
    ``(k) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Approved body.--The term `approved body' means an 
        entity that has been certified by the Secretary under 
        subsection (d)(1) to accredit the various mechanisms by which 
        an individual can demonstrate compliance with the standards 
        promulgated under subsection (a) with respect to performing, 
        planning, evaluating, or verifying patient dose for medical 
        imaging or radiation therapy.
            ``(2) Medical imaging.--The term `medical imaging' means 
        any procedure used to visualize tissues, organs, or physiologic 
        processes in humans for the purpose of diagnosing illness or 
        following the progression of disease. Images may be produced 
        utilizing ionizing radiation, radiopharmaceuticals, magnetic 
        resonance, or ultrasound and image production may include the 
        use of contrast media or computer processing. For purposes of 
        this section, such term does not include routine dental 
        diagnostic procedures.
            ``(3) Perform.--The term `perform', with respect to medical 
        imaging or radiation therapy, means--
                    ``(A) the act of directly exposing a patient to 
                radiation via ionizing or radio frequency radiation, to 
                ultrasound, or to a magnetic field for purposes of 
                medical imaging or for purposes of radiation therapy; 
                and
                    ``(B) the act of positioning a patient to receive 
                such an exposure.
            ``(4) Plan.--The term `plan', with respect to medical 
        imaging or radiation therapy, means the act of preparing for 
        the performance of such a procedure to a patient by evaluating 
        site-specific information, based on measurement and 
        verification of radiation dose distribution, computer analysis, 
        or direct measurement of dose, in order to customize the 
        procedure for the patient.
            ``(5) Radiation therapy.--The term `radiation therapy' 
        means any procedure or article intended for use in the cure, 
        mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in humans that 
        achieves its intended purpose through the emission of 
        radiation.
    ``(l) Sunset.--This section shall have no force or effect after 
September 30, 2016.''.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON THE EFFECTS OF THIS ACT.

    (a) Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director 
of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, shall submit to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a 
report on the effects of this Act. Such report shall include the types 
and numbers of providers for whom standards have been developed, the 
impact of such standards on diagnostic accuracy and patient safety, and 
the availability and cost of services. Entities reimbursed for 
technical services through programs operating under the authority of 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall be required to 
contribute data to such report.

            Passed the Senate December 6, 2006.

            Attest:

                                             EMILY J. REYNOLDS,

                                                             Secretary.