Medicare Diagnostic Radiopharmaceutical Payment Equity Act of 2018

Bill: 115-hr-6948
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Holding, George [R-NC-2]
Introduced: 2018-09-27
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Drug therapy

Health care costs and insurance

Health technology, devices, supplies

Home and outpatient care

Medical tests and diagnostic methods

Medicare
Latest action: action_date: 2018-10-10
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-09-27
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Medicare Diagnostic Radiopharmaceutical Payment Equity Act of 2018</b></p> <p>This bill establishes separate payment requirements for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals under the Medicare prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6948 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 27, 2018 Mr. Holding (for himself and Mr. Moulton ) introduced the following bill; which was 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 A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure equitable payment for, and preserve Medicare beneficiary access to, diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals under the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Medicare Diagnostic Radiopharmaceutical Payment Equity Act of 2018 . 2. Separate payment for certain diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals Section 1833(t)(16) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)(16) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (G) Separate payment for certain diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals (i) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, with respect to services furnished on or after January 1, 2019, the Secretary shall not package, and shall make a separate payment as specified in clause (ii) for, a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical with an estimated mean per day product cost equal to or exceeding the threshold specified in clause (iii). (ii) Separate payment For purposes of clause (i), payment specified in this clause for a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical described in clause (i) shall be equal to— (I) the average sales price for the drug established under section 1847A, to the extent the average sales price is available, as calculated and adjusted by the Secretary to the extent such adjustment is adopted for other specified covered outpatient drugs under paragraph (14)(A); or (II) if the data necessary to calculate the average price for the drug in the year under the sections specified in subclause (I) is not available, the average acquisition cost for the drug for that year (which, at the option of the Secretary, may vary by hospital group (as defined by the Secretary based on volume of covered OPD services or other relevant characteristics)), as determined by the Secretary taking into account the hospital acquisition cost survey data under paragraph (14)(D). (iii) Threshold For purposes of this subparagraph, the threshold specified in this clause— (I) for 2019, is $500; and (II) for subsequent years, is the amount specified in this clause for the preceding year increased by the percentage of the OPD fee schedule increase factor under paragraph (3)(C)(iv) for the applicable year. (iv) Budget neutrality The Secretary shall make such adjustments as are necessary under this subsection, with respect to a year, to ensure that the amount of expenditures under this subsection for such year with application of this subparagraph is equal to the amount of expenditures that would be made under this subsection for such year without application of this subparagraph. (v) Definition For purposes of this subparagraph, a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical is a drug or biological that is described in section 315.2(a) of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation. .