Comprehensive Medicare Reform Act of 1979 - Title I: Amendments to Part A (Hospital and Inpatient Services) - Amends part A (Hospital Insurance Benefits for the Aged and Disabled) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to remove restrictions on: (1) inpatient hospital services; and (2) home health services.
Directs the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to prescribe regulations which prohibit a physician who has a significant financial interest in a home health agency from certifying that an individual requires home health care services.
Directs the Secretary to designate regional agencies or organizations, which have an agreement with the Secretary, to perform functions under such agreement with respect to home health agencies. Requires a home health agency to meet such additional requirements as the Secretary finds necessary.
Eliminates the inpatient hospital deductible and coinsurance under part A, except for the deductible for whole blood.
Eliminates the coinsurance for post- hospital extended care to Christian Science Skilled Nursing Facilities.
Provides payment for 100 percent of a hospital's reasonable charges for emergency services.
Includes among the services provided under part A: (1) outpatient services by community mental health centers for up to ten outpatient visits per year; and (2) partial hospitalization services by such centers for up to 60 visits per year.
Title II: Amendments to part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) - Removes restrictions under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance for the Aged and Disabled) of title XVIII for: (1) home health services; (2) preventive health services; (3) routine physical checkups; (4) eye exams and eyeglasses; (5) hearing exams and hearing aids; (6) immunizations; (7) orthopedic shoes; (8) certain dental services and items, excluding orthodontic services other than a handicapping molocclusion; (9) treatment of certain foot conditions; and (10) drugs and biologicals.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) issue a product price list to specify the reasonable cost of drugs and biologicals; and (2) establish schedules of dispensing fees designed to afford to a pharmacy a reasonable reimbursement for the services provided in dispensing drugs and biologicals.
Includes comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation services among the services provided under part B.
Provides reimbursement for 100 percent of the costs of services under part B, excluding the deductible and certain limitations.
Increases allowances for reasonable charges for services under part B.
Title III: Funding - Appropriates to the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund such amounts as are determined by the Secretary to be necessary to make the payments required by this Act under part A.
Authorizes the appropriation of such sums to the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund as the Secretary determines to be necessary to make payments for services under part B of title XVIII.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means.
Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
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