I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1373 
To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consider, within 
the annual rulemaking processes, the effect of regulatory changes to 
certain Medicare payment systems on provider consolidation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 16, 2015 
Mr. BURGESS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
to consider, within the annual rulemaking processes, the 
effect of regulatory changes to certain Medicare payment 
systems on provider consolidation. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Providers Consolida-
tion and Medicare Payments Examined through Evalua-
tion Act of 2015’’ or the ‘‘Providers COMPETE Act of 
2015’’. 
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SEC. 2. RULEMAKING THAT IMPLEMENTS CERTAIN MEDI-
CARE PAYMENT CHANGES TO CONSIDER EF-
FECTS ON PROVIDER CONSOLIDATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning for 2016, as part of 
any annual notice and comment rulemaking process to im-
plement changes to payment systems under title XVIII of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) for items 
and services under title XVIII of the Social Security Act 
(including those for inpatient and outpatient hospital serv-
ices, physicians’ services, and services furnished by other 
providers of services and suppliers), the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services shall seek public comment on 
and evaluate the extent to which, and how, such a change 
is projected to affect provider consolidation. 
(b) COORDINATION AND CONSULTATION.— 
(1) INTERNAL
COORDINATION.—For purposes 
of conducting the evaluations under subsection (a), 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
ensure appropriate coordination within the Centers 
for Medicare & Medicaid Services such that experts 
with respect to the applicable payment system under 
title XVIII of the Social Security Act work collabo-
ratively for purposes of such evaluations. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—For purposes of con-
ducting the evaluations under subsection (a), the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services may con-
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sult with the Medicare Payment Advisory Commis-
sion established under section 1805 of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395b–6), the Federal Trade 
Commission, other governmental agencies, and pri-
vate sector entities. 
(c) PROVIDER CONSOLIDATION DEFINED.—For pur-
poses of this section, the term ‘‘provider consolidation’’ in-
cludes the vertical or horizontal integration among pro-
viders of services and suppliers, including professional 
practices, health care settings, and ancillary services by 
any entity (such as a health system, group practice, or 
health insurer). 
Æ 
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