Consumer Assurance of Radiologic Excellence Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-2322
Sponsor: Sen. Enzi, Michael B. [R-WY]
Introduced: 2006-02-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Accreditation (Education)
Accreditation (Medical care)
Administrative procedure
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of Health and Human Services
Education
Educational tests
Federal preemption
Government Operations and Politics
Higher education
Housing and Community Development
Imaging systems in medicine
Law
Licenses
Medical education
Medical personnel
Medical tests
Nonprofit organizations
Performance measurement
Quality of care
Radiotherapy
Rural health
Social Welfare
Standards
State laws
X-rays

Summary:
action_date: 2006-02-17
text: 
Consumer Assurance of Radiologic Excellence Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards to ensure the safety and accuracy of medical imaging studies and radiation therapy treatments. Imposes such standards on personnel who perform, plan, or evaluate, or verify patient doses for, medical imaging studies and radiation therapy procedures and not on the equipment used. Exempts physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
 
Directs the Secretary to ensure that individuals demonstrate compliance with such standards.
 
Requires the Secretary to provide a method for the recognition of individuals whose training and experience are determined to equal or exceed that of: (1) a graduate of an accredited educational program in that specialty; or (2) an individual who is regularly eligible to take the licensure or certification examination for that discipline.
 
Directs the Secretary to certify qualified nonprofit organizations as approved bodies to provide accreditation to individuals that demonstrate compliance with such standards.
 
Deems state standards for licensure or certification of personnel, accreditation of educational programs, or administration of examinations to be in compliance with the standards under this Act.
 
Requires the Secretary to ensure that all programs under the authority of the Secretary meet such standards.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to develop alternative standards for rural areas or health professional shortage areas as appropriate to assure access to quality medical imaging.

action_date: 2006-12-06
text: 
Consumer Assurance of Radiologic Excellence Act of 2006 - (Sec. 3) Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards to ensure the safety and accuracy of medical imaging studies and radiation therapy treatments. Imposes such standards on personnel who perform, plan, or evaluate, or verify patient doses for, medical imaging studies and radiation therapy procedures and not on the equipment used. Exempts physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
 
Directs the Secretary to ensure that individuals demonstrate compliance through successful completion of certification by a professional organization, licensure, completion of an examination, pertinent coursework or degree program, or verified pertinent experience.
 
Allows the standards to: (1) vary from discipline to discipline, represent expert consensus as to what constitutes excellence in practice, and be appropriate to the particular scope of care involved; (2) vary in form for each of the covered disciplines; and (3) exempt individual providers from meeting certain standards based on their scope of practice.
 
Requires the Secretary to provide a method for the recognition of individuals whose training and experience are determined to equal or exceed that of: (1) a graduate of an accredited educational program in that specialty; or (2) an individual who is regularly eligible to take the licensure or certification examination for that discipline.
 
Directs the Secretary to certify bodies for accreditation of various mechanisms by which an individual can demonstrate compliance with the standards. Requires the Secretary to establish minimum standards for certification, including assurances that the body will: (1) be a nonprofit organization; (2) comply with the established standards; and (3) notify the Secretary in a timely manner if it fails to comply. Allows the Secretary to withdraw certification upon determining the body does not meet the required standards.
 
Deems state standards for licensure or certification of personnel, accreditation of educational programs, or administration of examinations to be in compliance with standards under this Act unless the Secretary determines they do not meet minimum standards or are inconsistent with this Act. Requires the Secretary to establish an appeal process.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) evaluate the performance of each approved body; (2) ensure that programs that involve the performance of or payment for medical imaging or radiation therapy meet such standards; and (3) determine whether such standards must be met in their entirety in rural areas. Authorizes the Secretary to develop alternative standards for rural areas or health professional shortage areas to assure access to quality medical imaging. 
 
Sets forth a timeline for the implementation of the standards under this Act.
 
(Sec. 4) Sets forth reporting requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-12-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2006-12-07
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2006-12-07
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2006-12-06
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR 12/7/2006 S11389-11391; text as passed Senate: CR 12/7/2006 S11389-11391)
action_date: 2006-12-06
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR 12/7/2006 S11389-11391; text as passed Senate: CR 12/7/2006 S11389-11391)
action_date: 2006-12-05
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 668.
action_date: 2006-12-05
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Enzi with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 109-363.
action_date: 2006-12-05
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Enzi with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 109-363.
action_date: 2006-09-20
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2006-02-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1463-1464)
action_date: 2006-02-17
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1462-1463)
action_date: 2006-02-17
text: Introduced in Senate