Title: Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act
This bill establishes certain administrative requirements with respect to the Medicaid provider enrollment process. Specifically, the bill requires (1) state Medicaid programs to adopt a streamlined screening and enrollment process for eligible out-of-state pediatric providers, and (2) the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to establish a process for providers to enroll simultaneously in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4717 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4717

To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to streamline enrollment 
    of certain Medicaid providers across State lines, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 24, 2020

  Mr. Grassley (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Portman, Mr. Brown, Mr. 
Hawley, and Mrs. Murray) introduced the following bill; which was read 
             twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to streamline enrollment 
    of certain Medicaid providers across State lines, 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 ``Accelerating Kids' Access to Care 
Act''.

SEC. 2. STREAMLINED SCREENING AND ENROLLMENT PROCESS FOR ELIGIBLE OUT-
              OF-STATE MEDICAID PROVIDERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1902(kk) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396a(kk)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
            ``(10) Streamlined screening and enrollment process for 
        eligible out-of-state providers.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subsection (a)(65), 
                the State adopts a streamlined screening and enrollment 
                process for eligible out-of-State providers.
                    ``(B) Streamlined screening and enrollment 
                process.--For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term 
                `streamlined screening and enrollment process' means a 
                process that enables an eligible out-of-State provider 
                to enroll as a provider in the State plan on a 
                simplified and streamlined basis in accordance with the 
                requirements of subparagraph (D).
                    ``(C) Eligible out-of-state provider.--For purposes 
                of subparagraph (A), the term `eligible out-of-State 
                provider' means, with respect to a State, a pediatric 
                provider that furnishes medical services to a child (or 
                to an adult if such services are to treat a condition 
                that presented during childhood) for which payment is 
                available under the State plan under this title, if--
                            ``(i) the provider is located in another 
                        State and is enrolled as a provider in good 
                        standing under the State plan of such other 
                        State; and
                            ``(ii) with respect to the category of 
                        provider to which such provider belongs, the 
                        Secretary has determined there is a limited 
                        risk of fraud, waste, or abuse for purposes of 
                        determining the level of screening to be 
                        conducted under section 1866(j)(2)(B).
                    ``(D) Requirements.--For purposes of subparagraph 
                (B), the requirements of this subparagraph are the 
                following:
                            ``(i) An eligible out-of-State provider 
                        that elects to be and is enrolled in the 
                        program established under this title in 
                        accordance with the process established by the 
                        Secretary under section 2(b) of the 
                        Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act is 
                        enrolled in the State plan under this title 
                        without being subject to any additional 
                        screening and enrollment activities required by 
                        the State.
                            ``(ii) An eligible out-of-State provider 
                        that is enrolled in the State plan through the 
                        streamlined screening and enrollment process 
                        shall be enrolled for a period of 5 years 
                        before being required to obtain revalidation.
                            ``(iii) An eligible out-of-State provider 
                        that is enrolled in the State plan through the 
                        streamlined screening and enrollment process 
                        shall be permitted to order all clinically 
                        necessary follow-up care, including with 
                        respect to the prescribing of medications.''.
    (b) Coordination With Medicare.--The Secretary shall establish a 
process for permitting a provider the option, when enrolling in the 
program established under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the 
Social Security Act pursuant to subpart P of part 424 of title 42, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), to elect, at the 
same time, to enroll in the Medicaid program under title XIX of such 
Act for purposes of all State plans under such title XIX. The Secretary 
may utilize the Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership 
System (referred to as ``PECOS''), or another national, standardized, 
and widely accessible platform to establish such process.
    (c) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Section 1902(a)(77) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1396a(a)(77)), is amended by inserting ``enrollment,'' after 
        ``screening,''.
            (2) Section 1902(kk) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(kk)), as 
        amended by subsection (a), is further amended--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by inserting 
                ``Enrollment,'' after ``Screening,''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (9), by striking ``Nothing'' and 
                inserting ``Except as provided in paragraph (10)(D)(i), 
                nothing''.
            (3) Section 2107(e)(1)(F) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1397gg(e)(1)(F)) is amended by inserting ``enrollment,'' after 
        ``screening,''.
    (d) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        amendments made by this section take effect on January 1, 2021.
            (2) Exception for state legislation.--In the case of a 
        State plan for medical assistance under title XIX of the Social 
        Security Act or a State child health plan under title XXI of 
        such Act which the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        determines requires State legislation (other than legislation 
        appropriating funds) in order for the plan to meet the 
        additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by this 
        section, such State plan shall not be regarded as failing to 
        comply with the requirements of such title solely on the basis 
        of its failure to meet these additional requirements before the 
        first day of the first calendar quarter beginning after the 
        close of the first regular session of the State legislature 
        that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. For 
        purposes of the previous sentence, in the case of a State that 
        has a 2-year legislative session, each year of such session 
        shall be deemed to be a separate regular session of the State 
        legislature.
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