I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1293 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a 2-year 

moratorium on certain Medicare physician payment reductions for advanced diagnostic imaging services. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 1, 2007 

Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York (for herself, Mr. PITTS, Mr. GENE GREEN of 

Texas, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. CLAY, Mr. DAVIS

of Kentucky, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. AL GREEN

of Texas, Mr. BRADY of Texas, Mr. GORDON of Tennessee, Mr. HALL

of Texas, Mr. HAYES, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. 

SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. MCNULTY, Mrs. MALONEY

of New York, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, 

Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. PAUL, Mrs. 

BLACKBURN, Mr. PRICE of Georgia, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. REYES, Mr. 

REYNOLDS, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. 

YARMUTH, Mr. KIRK, Mr. ROTHMAN, and Mr. BECERRA) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide 

for a 2-year moratorium on certain Medicare physician 

payment reductions for advanced diagnostic imaging 

services. 


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•HR 1293 IH

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 ‘‘Access to Medicare 

5 Imaging Act of 2007’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REDUCTION IN PHYSICIAN FEE SCHEDULE TO OPD 

7 PAYMENT AMOUNT LIMITED TO ADVANCED 

8 DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING SERVICES. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1848(b)(4) of the Social 

10 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–4(b)(4)) is amended— 

11 (1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘IMAGING SERV12 ICES,’’ and inserting ‘‘ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC IMAG13 ING SERVICES’’. 

14 (2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘imaging 

15 services’’ and inserting ‘‘advanced diagnostic imag16 ing services’’; and 

17 (3) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as 

18 follows: 

19 ‘‘(B) ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING

20 SERVICES DEFINED.—For purposes of subpara21 graph (A), advanced diagnostic imaging services 

22 described in this subparagraph shall be defined 

23 by the Secretary and shall include only diag24 nostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), com25 puted tomography (CT), positron emission toVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:54 Mar 04, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1293.IH H1293

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1 mography (PET), and nuclear cardiology proce2 dures.’’. 

3 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

4 subsection (a) shall apply to payment for items and serv5 ices furnished on or after the date of the enactment of 

6 this Act. 

7 SEC. 3. 2-YEAR MORATORIUM ON CERTAIN MEDICARE PHY8 SICIAN PAYMENT REDUCTIONS FOR AD9 VANCED DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING SERVICES. 

10 (a) MORATORIUM.—No payment adjustment shall be 

11 made under subsections (b)(4)(A) or (c)(2)(B)(v)(II) of 

12 section 1848 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

13 1395w–4) during the 2-year period beginning on the date 

14 of the enactment of this Act. 

15 (b) GAO STUDY ON PATIENT ACCESS TO ADVANCED

16 DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING SERVICES.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 

18 the United States shall conduct a comprehensive 

19 study on patient access and service issues relating to 

20 the availability and quality of advanced diagnostic 

21 imaging services in physician offices and free22 standing clinics that would have resulted (but for 

23 subsection (a)) from payment changes made by the 

24 amendments made by section 5102(b) of the Deficit 

25 Reduction Act of 2005. 


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1 (2) DETAILS.—Such study also shall examine— 

2 (A) review application to multiple proce3 dure reductions and additional reductions asso4 ciated with changes in physician practice ex5 pense, with particular attention to rural and 

6 medically underserved areas; and 

7 (B) the appropriateness of using the hos8 pital outpatient department prospective pay9 ment system methodology to set reimbursement 

10 under the Medicare program for all advanced 

11 diagnostic imaging services, regardless of site of 

12 service. 

13 (3) REPORT.—Not later than July 31, 2009, 

14 the Comptroller General shall submit to each House 

15 of Congress and the Secretary of Health and 

16 Human Services a report on the study under this 

17 subsection and shall include in the report such rec18 ommendations regarding extending the moratorium 

19 imposed under subsection (a) or such other changes 

20 in Medicare reimbursement for advanced diagnostic 

21 imaging services as the Comptroller General deems 

22 appropriate. 

Æ 


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