Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2021
Bill: S.2641 | Sponsor: Sen. Boozman, John (R-AR)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2021
This bill provides for Medicare coverage of services that are furnished by a certified radiologist assistant under the supervision of a radiologist. Payment must be made to the supervising radiologist.

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for payment 
for services of radiologist assistants under the Medicare program, and 
                          for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare Access to Radiology Care 
Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. MEDICARE PAYMENT FOR RADIOLOGIST ASSISTANT SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Section 1834 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395m) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(z) Payment for Certain Radiologist Assistant Services.--
            ``(1) Payment.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In the case of radiologist 
                assistant services (as defined in subparagraph (B)) 
                furnished on or after January 1, 2022, for which 
                payment is made under the fee schedules established 
                under section 1848, the amount of payment for such 
                services shall equal 85 percent of the amount 
                determined under section 1848 for such services when 
                furnished by a radiologist.
                    ``(B) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                            ``(i) Radiologist assistant services.--The 
                        term `radiologist assistant services' means 
                        services furnished as an incident to a 
                        radiologists' professional service--
                                    ``(I) performed by a radiologist 
                                assistant (as defined in clause (ii)) 
                                under the supervision of a radiologist 
                                as an employee of, a leased employee 
                                of, or an independent contractor of the 
                                supervising radiologist; and
                                    ``(II) which the radiologist 
                                assistant is legally authorized to 
                                perform under State law (or the State 
                                regulatory mechanism provided by State 
                                law).
                            ``(ii) Radiologist assistant.--The term 
                        `radiologist assistant' means a radiographer 
                        who is certified by the American Registry of 
                        Radiologic Technologists as a registered 
                        radiologist assistant or by the Certification 
                        Board for Radiology Practitioner Assistants as 
                        a radiology practitioner assistant to perform 
                        radiologic procedures under the supervision of 
                        a radiologist.
            ``(2) Payment in facility settings.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall provide for 
                payment for radiologist assistant services in a 
                facility setting furnished on or after January 1, 2022. 
                Payment shall be made to the supervising radiologist.
                    ``(B) Payment amount.--The amount of payment for 
                radiologist assistant services furnished in a facility 
                setting shall be the amount determined under paragraph 
                (1).
                    ``(C) Facility setting defined.--In this paragraph, 
                the term `facility setting' means--
                            ``(i) a hospital or critical access 
                        hospital;
                            ``(ii) an ambulatory surgical center; and
                            ``(iii) such other providers of services as 
                        the Secretary may specify.
            ``(3) Rules of construction.--Nothing in this subsection 
        shall be construed as affecting--
                    ``(A) coverage of and payment for the technical 
                component (including the technical component of a 
                global fee) with respect to imaging services under this 
                title as in effect before the date of the enactment of 
                this Act;
                    ``(B) the amount of payment made for radiologists' 
                services under this title when furnished solely by a 
                radiologist; or
                    ``(C) the amount of payment made under this title 
                for services furnished by a hospital, critical access 
                hospital, ambulatory surgical center, or any other 
                facility setting specified by the Secretary under 
                paragraph (2)(C)(iii), as the case may be.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment for Payment to Supervising Radiologist.--
The first sentence of section 1842(b)(6) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395u(b)(6)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' before ``(J)''; and
            (2) by inserting before the period at the end the 
        following: ``, and (K) in the case of radiologist assistant 
        services (as defined in section 1834(z)(1)(B)(i)), payment 
        shall be made to the supervising radiologist''.
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