Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2015
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise conditions of and limitations on payment for home health care services.
Allows payment for home health services to Medicare beneficiaries by: (1) a nurse practitioner, (2) a clinical nurse specialist working in collaboration with a physician in accordance with state law, (3) a certified nurse-midwife, or (4) a physician assistant under a physician's supervision.
[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1342 Introduced in House (IH)]
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1342
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure more timely
access to home health services for Medicare beneficiaries under the
Medicare program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 6, 2015
Mr. Walden (for himself, Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania, Mr. Tiberi, Mr.
Young of Indiana, Ms. Jenkins of Kansas, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Kind, Mr.
Thompson of California, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Harper, Mr.
McKinley, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Welch, Mrs. Capps,
and Mr. Schrader) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce, 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 more timely
access to home health services for Medicare beneficiaries under the
Medicare program, 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 ``Home Health Care Planning
Improvement Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVING CARE PLANNING FOR MEDICARE HOME HEALTH SERVICES.
(a) Part A Provisions.--Section 1814(a) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1395f(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by
inserting ``, a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse
specialist who is working in collaboration with a
physician in accordance with State law, a certified
nurse-midwife (as defined in section 1861(gg)) as
authorized by State law, or a physician assistant (as
defined in section 1861(aa)(5)) under the supervision
of a physician'' after ``1866(j)''; and
(B) in subparagraph (C)--
(i) by inserting ``, a nurse practitioner,
a clinical nurse specialist, a certified nurse-
midwife, or a physician assistant (as the case
may be)'' after ``physician'' the first 2 times
it appears; and
(ii) by striking ``, and, in the case of a
certification made by a physician'' and all
that follows through ``face-to-face encounter''
and inserting ``, and, in the case of a
certification made by a physician after January
1, 2010, or by a nurse practitioner, clinical
nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife, or
physician assistant (as the case may be) after
January 1, 2016, prior to making such
certification the physician, nurse
practitioner, clinical nurse specialist,
certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant
must document that the physician, nurse
practitioner, clinical nurse specialist,
certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant
has had a face-to-face encounter'';
(2) in the second sentence, by inserting ``certified nurse-
midwife,'' after ``clinical nurse specialist,'';
(3) in the third sentence--
(A) by striking ``physician certification'' and
inserting ``certification'';
(B) by inserting ``(or on January 1, 2016, in the
case of regulations to implement the amendments made by
section 2 of the Home Health Care Planning Improvement
Act of 2015)'' after ``1981''; and
(C) by striking ``a physician who'' and inserting
``a physician, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse
specialist, certified nurse-midwife, or physician
assistant who''; and
(4) in the fourth sentence, by inserting ``, nurse
practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-
midwife, or physician assistant'' after ``physician''.
(b) Part B Provisions.--Section 1835(a) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1395n(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by
inserting ``, a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse
specialist (as those terms are defined in 1861(aa)(5))
who is working in collaboration with a physician in
accordance with State law, a certified nurse-midwife
(as defined in section 1861(gg)) as authorized by State
law, or a physician assistant (as defined in section
1861(aa)(5)) under the supervision of a physician''
after ``1866(j)''; and
(B) in subparagraph (A)--
(i) in each of clauses (ii) and (iii) of
subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, a nurse
practitioner, a clinical nurse specialist, a
certified nurse-midwife, or a physician
assistant (as the case may be)'' after
``physician''; and
(ii) in clause (iv), by striking ``after
January 1, 2010'' and all that follows through
``face-to-face encounter'' and inserting ``made
by a physician after January 1, 2010, or by a
nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist,
certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant
(as the case may be) after January 1, 2016,
prior to making such certification the
physician, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse
specialist, certified nurse-midwife, or
physician assistant must document that the
physician, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse
specialist, certified nurse-midwife, or
physician assistant has had a face-to-face
encounter'';
(2) in the third sentence, by inserting ``, nurse
practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-
midwife, or physician assistant (as the case may be)'' after
``physician'';
(3) in the fourth sentence--
(A) by striking ``physician certification'' and
inserting ``certification'';
(B) by inserting ``(or on January 1, 2016, in the
case of regulations to implement the amendments made by
section 2 of the Home Health Care Planning Improvement
Act of 2015)'' after ``1981''; and
(C) by striking ``a physician who'' and inserting
``a physician, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse
specialist, certified nurse-midwife, or physician
assistant who''; and
(4) in the fifth sentence, by inserting ``, nurse
practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-
midwife, or physician assistant'' after ``physician''.
(c) Definition Provisions.--
(1) Home health services.--Section 1861(m) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(m)) is amended--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
(i) by inserting ``, a nurse practitioner
or a clinical nurse specialist (as those terms
are defined in subsection (aa)(5)), a certified
nurse-midwife (as defined in section 1861(gg)),
or a physician assistant (as defined in
subsection (aa)(5))'' after ``physician'' the
first place it appears; and
(ii) by inserting ``, a nurse practitioner,
a clinical nurse specialist, a certified nurse-
midwife, or a physician assistant'' after
``physician'' the second place it appears; and
(B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``, a nurse
practitioner, a clinical nurse specialist, a certified
nurse-midwife, or a physician assistant'' after
``physician''.
(2) Home health agency.--Section 1861(o)(2) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(o)(2)) is amended--
(A) by inserting ``, nurse practitioners or
clinical nurse specialists (as those terms are defined
in subsection (aa)(5)), certified nurse-midwives (as
defined in section 1861(gg)), or physician assistants
(as defined in subsection (aa)(5))'' after
``physicians''; and
(B) by inserting ``, nurse practitioner, clinical
nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife, physician
assistant,'' after ``physician''.
(d) Home Health Prospective Payment System Provisions.--Section
1895 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395fff) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ``, the nurse
practitioner or clinical nurse specialist (as those terms are
defined in section 1861(aa)(5)), the certified nurse-midwife
(as defined in section 1861(gg)), or the physician assistant
(as defined in section 1861(aa)(5)),'' after ``physician''; and
(2) in subsection (e)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ``, a nurse
practitioner or clinical nurse specialist (as those
terms are defined in section 1861(aa)(5)), a certified
nurse-midwife (as defined in section 1861(gg)), or a
physician assistant (as defined in section
1861(aa)(5))'' after ``physician''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in the heading, by striking ``Physician
certification'' and inserting ``Rule of
construction regarding requirement for
certification''; and
(ii) by striking ``physician''.
(e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2016.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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