To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a self-referral disclosure protocol under the Medicare Program to enable health care providers of services and suppliers to disclose violations of section 1877 of the Social Security Act.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in cooperation with the Inspector General of the Department of HHS, to establish a self-referral disclosure protocol (SRDP) to enable health care service providers and suppliers to disclose an actual or potential violation of the prohibition against certain physician referrals.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3556 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3556

 To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 
self-referral disclosure protocol under the Medicare Program to enable 
health care providers of services and suppliers to disclose violations 
              of section 1877 of the Social Security Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 14, 2009

Mr. McDermott 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 require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 
self-referral disclosure protocol under the Medicare Program to enable 
health care providers of services and suppliers to disclose violations 
              of section 1877 of the Social Security Act.

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

SECTION 1. MEDICARE SELF-REFERRAL DISCLOSURE PROTOCOL.

    (a) Development of Self-Referral Disclosure Protocol.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services, in cooperation with the Inspector General of the 
        Department of Health and Human Services, shall establish, not 
        later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this 
        Act, a protocol to enable health care providers of services and 
        suppliers to disclose an actual or potential violation of 
        section 1877 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395nn) 
        pursuant to a self-referral disclosure protocol (in this 
        section referred to as an ``SRDP''). The SRDP shall include 
        direction to health care providers of services and suppliers 
        on--
                    (A) a specific person, official, or office to whom 
                such disclosures shall be made; and
                    (B) instruction on the implication of the SRDP on 
                corporate integrity agreements and corporate compliance 
                agreements.
            (2) Publication on internet website of srdp information.--
        The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall post 
        information on the public Internet website of the Centers for 
        Medicare & Medicaid Services to inform relevant stakeholders of 
        how to disclose actual or potential violations pursuant to an 
        SRDP.
            (3) Relation to advisory opinions.--The SRDP shall be 
        separate from the advisory opinion process set forth in 
        regulations implementing section 1877(g) of the Social Security 
        Act.
    (b) Reduction in Amounts Owed.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services is authorized to reduce the amount due and owing for all 
violations under section 1877 of the Social Security Act to an amount 
less than that specified in subsection (g) of such section. In 
establishing such amount for a violation, the Secretary may consider 
the following factors:
            (1) The nature and extent of the improper or illegal 
        practice.
            (2) The timeliness of such self-disclosure.
            (3) The cooperation in providing additional information 
        related to the disclosure.
            (4) Such other factors as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date on which the 
SRDP protocol is established under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of this 
section. Such report shall include--
            (1) the number of health care providers of services and 
        suppliers making disclosures pursuant to the SRDP;
            (2) the amounts collected pursuant to the SRDP;
            (3) the types of violations reported under the SRDP; and
            (4) such other information as may be necessary to evaluate 
        the impact of this section.
                                 <all>