To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to require SCHIP annual reports to include information on the HEDIS measure relating to access to primary care practitioners by individuals eligible for child health assistance under such plans and on State efforts to avoid certain displacement of private health coverage, and to express the sense of Congress that such States should utilize Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems consumer satisfaction surveys to measure access by such individuals to physicians.

Summary: Improving Children's Doctor Access Act of 2008 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to require annual state SCHIP reports to include information on: (1) the HEDIS (Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set) measure relating to access to primary care practitioners by individuals eligible for child health assistance; and (2) efforts to avoid displacement of private health coverage.



Expresses the sense of Congress that states with a state child health plan should utilize consumer satisfaction surveys developed by the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) administered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, specifically the Getting Needed Care and Getting Care Quickly question components of the CAHPS 4.0H Child Survey, to measure the extent to which individuals eligible for child health assistance under the state plan have access to physicians.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Children's Doctor Access 
Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. STATE REQUIREMENT UNDER SCHIP TO REPORT ON HEDIS MEASURE 
              RELATING TO ACCESS TO PCPS.

    (a) In General.--Section 2108(a) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1397hh(a)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
        subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, with appropriate 
        indentation;
            (2) by designating the sentence beginning with ``The State 
        shall'' as a paragraph (1) with the hearing ``(1) In general.--
        '' and appropriate indentation; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(2) Information on certain hedis measure required.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Each annual report of a State 
                submitted under paragraph (1)(B) for a fiscal year 
                shall include information on the access HEDIS measure 
                described in subparagraph (B) for individuals eligible 
                for child health assistance under the State child 
                health plan during the fiscal year.
                    ``(B) Access hedis measure described.--The access 
                HEDIS measure described in this subparagraph is the 
                Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS) 
                measure established by the National Committee for 
                Quality Assurance that is the following (or, in the 
                case of an update to such measure, such update):
                            ``(i) The percentage of each of the 
                        following populations of individuals described 
                        in subparagraph (A) who had a visit with a 
                        primary care practitioner during the previous 
                        12-month period:
                                    ``(I) Individuals who are at least 
                                12 months of age and who have not 
                                attained 25 months of age.
                                    ``(II) Individuals who are at least 
                                25 months of age and have not attained 
                                7 years of age.
                            ``(ii) The percentage of each of the 
                        following populations of individuals described 
                        in subparagraph (A) who had a visit with a 
                        primary care practitioner during the previous 
                        24-month period:
                                    ``(I) Individuals who are at least 
                                7 years of age and who have not 
                                attained 12 years of age.
                                    ``(II) Individuals who are at least 
                                12 years of age and who have not 
                                attained 19 years of age.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a)(3) shall 
be effective for annual reports submitted for fiscal year 2010 and each 
subsequent fiscal year.

SEC. 3. STATE EFFORTS UNDER SCHIP TO AVOID DISPLACEMENT OF PRIVATE 
              HEALTH COVERAGE.

    (a) In General.--Section 2102(c) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1397bb(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
            ``(3) Efforts to avoid displacement of private health 
        coverage.--(A) Prioritization of outreach to families with 
        income below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level.
            ``(B) Discouragement of the crowd out of private health 
        insurance coverage for families with income at least 300 
        percent of the Federal poverty level.''.
    (b) Annual State Reports Under SCHIP on Efforts To Avoid 
Displacement of Private Health Coverage.--
            (1) In general.--Section 2108(a) of the Social Security Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1397hh(a)), as amended by section 2, is further 
        amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) Information on efforts to avoid displacement of 
        private health coverage.--Each annual report of a State 
        submitted under paragraph (1)(B) shall include, with respect to 
        the State child health plan under this title for a fiscal year, 
        a description of the measures taken by the State, and the 
        progress of the State, to follow the procedures described by 
        the State pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 
        2102(c)(3).''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall be effective for annual reports submitted for fiscal year 
        2010 and each subsequent fiscal year.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING UTILIZATION OF CAHPS CONSUMER 
              SATISFACTION SURVEYS.

    It is the sense of Congress that each State that has a State child 
health plan under title XXI of the Social Security Act should--
            (1) utilize consumer satisfaction surveys developed by the 
        Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) 
        administered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 
        specifically the Getting Needed Care and Getting Care Quickly 
        question components of the CAHPS 4.0H Child Survey (or in the 
        case of an update to such survey, of such update), to measure 
        the extent to which individuals eligible for child health 
        assistance under the State plan have access to physicians, 
        including primary care practitioners and specialists, and the 
        degree of ease with which such access is attainable by such 
        individuals; and
            (2) include the results of such surveys for a fiscal year 
        in the annual report submitted for such fiscal year by the 
        State to the Secretary under section 2108(a) of the Social 
        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397hh(a)).