Ensuring the Future Physician Workforce Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-2585
Sponsor: Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26]
Introduced: 2007-06-06 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Auditing
Collection of accounts
Conflict of interests
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Drugs
Economics and Public Finance
Federal preemption
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Government spending reductions
Government trust funds
Governmental investigations
Health information systems
Information technology
Law
Medical ethics
Medical fees
Medicare
Minorities
Minority health
Physicians
Quality of care
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
State laws

Summary:
action_date: 2007-06-06
text: 
Ensuring the Future Physician Workforce Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to the formula for calculating payments for physicians' services. Resets to 2007 the base year for application of the sustainable growth rate formula, which shall be eliminated in 2010.
 
Extends the current quality reporting system.
 
Amends the Medicare Improvement and Extension Act of 2006 to extend and increase transitional bonus incentive payments.
 
Amends SSA title XVIII to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish a new physician quality incentive system; and (2) create standards for health information technology (HIT) payment incentives.
 
Amends SSA title XI to create safe harbors to antikickback and civil and criminal penalties for provision of HIT and training services.
 
Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the impact of such safe harbors.
 
Amends SSA title XVIII to create an exception to the limitation on certain physician referrals for the provision of HIT and training services to health care professionals.
 
Directs the Secretary to report annually to: (1) each physician information on the physician's total Medicare billings; and (2) each individual entitled to benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) and part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) on the amount of Medicare payments made to or on behalf of the individual during the year involved.
 
Directs the Secretary to collect data on annual savings in expenditures in the Medicare program due to physicians' services that resulted in hospital or in-patient diversion.
 
Requires the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and of the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund to monitor and examine the extent to which the different funding mechanisms under Medicare parts A, B, and D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) provide an appropriate alignment with the program goals of the respective parts.
 
Directs the Secretary to arrange for a study of price inputs and relative values for physicians' services recommended by the AMA/Speciality Society Relative Value Unit Scale Update Committee process.
 
Requires the Secretary to provide for a study of, and report to Congress on, health care disparities in high-risk health condition areas and minority communities with respect to the impact reporting requirements may have on physician penetration in such communities.
 
Amends SSA title XVIII to accelerate the deadline for nationwide implementation of the recovery audit contractor element of the Medicare Integrity Program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H11149-11155)
action_date: 2007-09-04
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H10062-10065)
action_date: 2007-06-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-06-06
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-06-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-06-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-06-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-06-06
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-06-06
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-04-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H4168-4173)