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(c) PROVISION OF ACCESS TO AND PROMPT RE-
SPONSES FROM MEDICARE ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRAC-
TORS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1874A, as added by
section 201(a)(1) and as amended by section 202(a)
and subsection (b), is further amended by adding at
the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(g) COMMUNICATIONS WITH BENEFICIARIES, PRO-
VIDERS OF SERVICES AND SUPPLIERS.—
‘‘(1) COMMUNICATION
STRATEGY.—The Sec-
retary shall develop a strategy for communications
with individuals entitled to benefits under part A or
enrolled under part B, or both, and with providers
of services and suppliers under this title.
‘‘(2) RESPONSE TO WRITTEN INQUIRIES.—Each
medicare administrative contractor shall, for those
providers of services and suppliers which submit
claims to the contractor for claims processing and
for those individuals entitled to benefits under part
A or enrolled under part B, or both, with respect to
whom claims are submitted for claims processing,
provide general written responses (which may be
through electronic transmission) in a clear, concise,
and accurate manner to inquiries of providers of
services, suppliers and individuals entitled to bene-
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fits under part A or enrolled under part B, or both,
concerning the programs under this title within 45
business days of the date of receipt of such inquiries.
‘‘(3) RESPONSE
TO
TOLL-FREE
LINES.—The
Secretary shall ensure that each medicare adminis-
trative contractor shall provide, for those providers
of services and suppliers which submit claims to the
contractor for claims processing and for those indi-
viduals entitled to benefits under part A or enrolled
under part B, or both, with respect to whom claims
are submitted for claims processing, a toll-free tele-
phone number at which such individuals, providers
of services and suppliers may obtain information re-
garding billing, coding, claims, coverage, and other
appropriate information under this title.
‘‘(4) 
MONITORING
OF
CONTRACTOR
RE-
SPONSES.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each medicare admin-
istrative contractor shall, consistent with stand-
ards developed by the Secretary under subpara-
graph (B)—
‘‘(i) maintain a system for identifying
who provides the information referred to in
paragraphs (2) and (3); and
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‘‘(ii) monitor the accuracy, consist-
ency, and timeliness of the information so
provided.
‘‘(B) DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDS.—
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary
shall establish and make public standards
to monitor the accuracy, consistency, and
timeliness of the information provided in
response to written and telephone inquiries
under this subsection. Such standards shall
be consistent with the performance require-
ments established under subsection (b)(3).
‘‘(ii) 
EVALUATION.—In 
conducting
evaluations of individual medicare adminis-
trative contractors, the Secretary shall
take into account the results of the moni-
toring conducted under subparagraph (A)
taking into account as performance re-
quirements 
the 
standards 
established
under clause (i). The Secretary shall, in
consultation 
with 
organizations 
rep-
resenting providers of services, suppliers,
and individuals entitled to benefits under
part A or enrolled under part B, or both,
establish standards relating to the accu-
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racy, consistency, and timeliness of the in-
formation so provided.’’.
‘‘(C) DIRECT
MONITORING.—Nothing in
this paragraph shall be construed as preventing
the Secretary from directly monitoring the ac-
curacy, consistency, and timeliness of the infor-
mation so provided.’’.
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made
by paragraph (1) shall take effect October 1, 2002.
(3) APPLICATION TO FISCAL INTERMEDIARIES
AND CARRIERS.—The provisions of section 1874A(g)
of the Social Security Act, as added by paragraph
(1), shall apply to each fiscal intermediary under
section 1816 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395h) and each carrier under section 1842 of such
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u) in the same manner as they
apply to medicare administrative contractors under
such provisions.
(d) IMPROVED PROVIDER EDUCATION AND TRAIN-
ING.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1889, as added by
subsection (a), is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsections:
‘‘(b) ENHANCED EDUCATION AND TRAINING.—
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‘‘(1) ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.—There are au-
thorized to be appropriated to the Secretary (in ap-
propriate part from the Federal Hospital Insurance
Trust Fund and the Federal Supplementary Medical
Insurance Trust Fund) $25,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 2003 and 2004 and such sums as may be
necessary for succeeding fiscal years.
‘‘(2) USE.—The funds made available under
paragraph (1) shall be used to increase the conduct
by medicare contractors of education and training of
providers of services and suppliers regarding billing,
coding, and other appropriate items and may also be
used to improve the accuracy, consistency, and time-
liness of contractor responses.
‘‘(c) TAILORING EDUCATION AND TRAINING ACTIVI-
TIES FOR SMALL PROVIDERS OR SUPPLIERS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Insofar as a medicare con-
tractor conducts education and training activities, it
shall tailor such activities to meet the special needs
of small providers of services or suppliers (as defined
in paragraph (2)).
‘‘(2) SMALL PROVIDER OF SERVICES OR SUP-
PLIER.—In this subsection, the term ‘small provider
of services or supplier’ means—