I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1544
To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a
demonstration project to provide Medicare beneficiaries greater informa-
tion with respect to various courses of treatment for certain diseases
or injuries to enable the beneficiaries to make more informed decisions
when selecting a course of treatment for the disease or injury.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 22, 1999
Mr. STARK introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Commerce,
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 require the Secretary of Health and Human Services
to establish a demonstration project to provide Medicare
beneficiaries greater information with respect to various
courses of treatment for certain diseases or injuries to
enable the beneficiaries to make more informed decisions
when selecting a course of treatment for the disease
or injury.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION. 1. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS TO INCREASE
QUALITY OF INFORMATION PROVIDED TO
MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES WITH RESPECT
TO TREATMENT OPTIONS.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROJECT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than January 1,
2001, the Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall establish demonstration projects (in this sec-
tion referred to as the ‘‘projects’’) under which the
Secretary shall furnish to providers of services and
physicians participating in the Medicare Program
under title XVIII of the Social Security Act informa-
tional videotapes (as described in subsection (b)) to
present to a Medicare beneficiary diagnosed with a
particular disease or injury (as identified by the Sec-
retary pursuant to subsection (c)) before the bene-
ficiary elects a course of treatment for that disease
or injury. The Secretary shall furnish such informa-
tional videotapes at no cost to such providers and
physicians.
(2) PROJECT
AREAS.—The projects shall be
conducted in five separate counties of which 3 shall
be in urban areas and 2 shall be in rural areas.
(b) INFORMATIONAL VIDEOTAPE DESCRIBED.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Institute of Medicine, in
consultation with the National Institutes of Health
and such other medical experts, about the disease or
injury, and various courses of treatment.
(c) SELECTION OF DISEASE OR INJURY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of selecting a
particular disease or injury for which a informa-
tional videotape shall be provided under the projects,
the Secretary shall identify diseases or injuries for
which there is a wide variation in treatment of that
disease throughout the United States.
(2) MANDATORY DESIGNATION OF PROSTATE
ENLARGEMENT FOR ONE PROJECT.—The disease or
injury for which a informational videotape is pro-
vided in one of the projects conducted under this
section shall be benign and malignant prostate en-
largement.
(d) PAYMENT.—(1) The Secretary shall establish a
payment amount to be made to a provider of services or
a physician under title XVIII of the Social Security Act
to reflect services consisting of the presentation of a infor-
mational videotape to and consultation with a Medicare
beneficiary after such presentation.
(2) For purposes of the payment amount under para-
graph (1), no payment may be made for the purchase or
rental of equipment or office space for purposes of making
such presentation.
(e) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—The Secretary may waive
such requirements of title XVIII of such Act as may be
necessary for the purposes of carrying out the project.
(f) REPORTS.—Not later than June 1, 2004, the Sec-
retary shall submit to Congress a report on the following
matters:
(1) A description of courses of treatment for
the diseases or illnesses identified under subsection
(c) selected by Medicare beneficiaries during the
three year period ending on December 31, 2003.
(2) A comparison between courses of treatment
described in paragraph (1) and courses of treatment
selected by the Medicare beneficiaries participating
in the project.
(3) An analysis of the effect on costs to the
Medicare program due to any change in selection of
courses of treatment.
(g) DURATION.—A demonstration project under this
section shall be conducted for a 3-year period.
Æ