II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1574 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a minimum 

update for physicians’ services for 2006 and 2007. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 29, 2005 

Ms. CANTWELL (for herself, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mrs. LINCOLN, Mrs. MURRAY, and Mr. CORZINE) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide 

for a minimum update for physicians’ services for 2006 

and 2007. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Affordable Access to 

5 Medicare Providers Act of 2005’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MINIMUM UPDATE FOR PHYSICIANS’ SERVICES FOR 

7 2006 AND 2007. 

8 (a) MINIMUM UPDATE.— 
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•S 1574 IS

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1848(d) of the So2 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–4(d)) is amend3 ed by adding at the end the following new para4 graphs: 

5 ‘‘(6) UPDATE FOR 2006.—The update to the 

6 single conversion factor established in paragraph 

7 (1)(C) for 2006 shall not be less than 2.7 percent. 

8 ‘‘(7) UPDATE FOR 2007.— 

9 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The update to the sin10 gle conversion factor established in paragraph 

11 (1)(C) for 2007 shall not be less than the prod12 uct of— 

13 ‘‘(i) 1 plus the Secretary’s estimate of 

14 the percentage change in the value of the 

15 input price index (as provided under sub16 paragraph (B)(ii)) for 2007 (divided by 

17 100); and 

18 ‘‘(ii) 1 minus the Secretary’s estimate 

19 of the productivity adjustment factor under 

20 subparagraph (C) for 2007. 

21 ‘‘(B) INPUT PRICE INDEX.— 

22 ‘‘(i) ESTABLISHMENT.—Taking into 

23 account the mix of goods and services in24 cluded in computing the medicare economic 

25 index (referred to in the fourth sentence of 
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•S 1574 IS

1 section 1842(b)(3)), the Secretary shall es2 tablish an index that reflects the weighted3 average input prices for physicians’ serv4 ices for 2006. Such index shall only ac5 count for input prices and not changes in 

6 costs that may result from other factors 

7 (such as productivity). 

8 ‘‘(ii) ANNUAL ESTIMATE OF CHANGE

9 IN INDEX.—The Secretary shall estimate, 

10 before the beginning of 2007, the change 

11 in the value of the input price index under 

12 clause (i) from 2006 to 2007. 

13 ‘‘(C) PRODUCTIVITY ADJUSTMENT FAC14 TOR.—The Secretary shall estimate, and cause 

15 to be published in the Federal Register not 

16 later than November 1, 2006, a productivity ad17 justment factor for 2007 that reflects the Sec18 retary’s estimate of growth in multifactor pro19 ductivity in the national economy, taking into 

20 account growth in productivity attributable to 

21 both labor and nonlabor factors. Such adjust22 ment may be based on a multi-year moving av23 erage of productivity (based on data published 

24 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics).’’. 
4 

•S 1574 IS

1 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

2 1848(d)(4)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

3 1395w–4(d)(4)(B)) is amended, in the matter pre4 ceding clause (i), by striking ‘‘and paragraph (5)’’ 

5 and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (5), (6), and (7)’’. 

6 (b) EXCLUSION OF COSTS FROM DETERMINATION OF

7 PART B MONTHLY PREMIUM.—Section 1839(g) (42 

8 U.S.C. 1395r(g)) is amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

10 end; 

11 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at 

12 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

13 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

14 paragraph: 

15 ‘‘(3) the application of the amendments made 

16 by section 2(a) of the Affordable Access to Medicare 

17 Providers Act of 2005 (relating to a minimum up18 date for physicians’ services in 2006 and 2007).’’. 

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