P.L. 114–010, Approved April 16, 2015 (129Stat. 87)

Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015

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 [42 U.S.C. 1305 note]  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare sustainable growth rate and strengthen Medicare access by improving physician payments and making other improvements, to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes. This Act may be cited as the “Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015”.

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SECTION 101. REPEALING THE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH RATE (SGR) AND IMPROVING MEDICARE PAYMENT FOR PHYSICIANS' SERVICES

(a) Stabilizing Fee Updates.—

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(3) MedPAC reports.—

(A)  Initial report.—Not later than July 1, 2017, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the relationship between—

(i)  physician and other health professional utilization and expenditures (and the rate of increase of such utilization and expenditures) of items and services for which payment is made under section 1848 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–4); and

(ii)  total utilization and expenditures (and the rate of increase of such utilization and expenditures) under parts A, B, and D of title XVIII of such Act.

Such report shall include a methodology to describe such relationship and the impact of changes in such physician and other health professional practice and service ordering patterns on total utilization and expenditures under parts A, B, and D of such title.

(B)  Final report.—Not later than July 1, 2021, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the relationship described in subparagraph (A), including the results determined from applying the methodology included in the report submitted under such subparagraph.

(C)  Report on update to physicians’ services under medicare.—Not later than July 1, 2019, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission shall submit to Congress a report on—

(i)  the payment update for professional services applied under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act for the period of years 2015 through 2019;

(ii)  the effect of such update on the efficiency, economy, and quality of care provided under such program;

(iii)  the effect of such update on ensuring a sufficient number of providers to maintain access to care by Medicare beneficiaries; and

(iv)  recommendations for any future payment updates for professional services under such program to ensure adequate access to care is maintained for Medicare beneficiaries.

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(e)  Promoting Alternative Payment Models.—***

(5)  Construction regarding telehealth services.—Nothing in the provisions of, or amendments made by, this title shall be construed as precluding an alternative payment model or a qualifying APM participant (as those terms are defined in section 1833(z) of the Social Security Act, as added by paragraph (1)) from furnishing a telehealth service for which payment is not made under section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)).

(6)  Integrating medicare advantage alternative payment models.—Not later than July 1, 2016, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to Congress a study that examines the feasibility of integrating alternative payment models in the Medicare Advantage payment system. The study shall include the feasibility of including a valuebased modifier and whether such modifier should be budget neutral.

(7) study and report on fraud related to alternative payment models under the medicare program.—

(A)  Study.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, shall conduct a study that—

(i)  examines the applicability of the Federal fraud prevention laws to items and services furnished under title XVIII of the Social Security Act for which payment is made under an alternative payment model (as defined in section 1833(z)(3)(C) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(z)(3)(C)));

(ii)  identifies aspects of such alternative payment models that are vulnerable to fraudulent activity; and

(iii)  examines the implications of waivers to such laws granted in support of such alternative payment models, including under any potential expansion of such models.

(B)  Report.—Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report containing the results of the study conducted under subparagraph (A). Such report shall include recommendations for actions to be taken to reduce the vulnerability of such alternative payment models to fraudulent activity. Such report also shall include, as appropriate, recommendations of the Inspector General for changes in Federal fraud prevention laws to reduce such vulnerability.

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SEC. 103. ENCOURAGING CARE MANAGEMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC CARE NEEDS.

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(b) [42 USC 1395w–4 note] Education and Outreach.—

(1) Campaign.—

(A)  In general.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this subsection referred to as the “Secretary”) shall conduct an education and outreach campaign to inform professionals who furnish items and services under part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act and individuals enrolled under such part of the benefits of chronic care management services described in section 1848(b)(8) of the Social Security Act, as added by subsection (a), and encourage such individuals with chronic care needs to receive such services.

(B)  Requirements.—Such campaign shall—

(i)  be directed by the Office of Rural Health Policy of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Minority Health of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and

(ii)  focus on encouraging participation by underserved rural populations and racial and ethnic minority populations.

(2)  Report.—Not later than December 31, 2017, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the use of chronic care management services described in such section 1848(b)(8) by individuals living in rural areas and by racial and ethnic minority populations. Such report shall—

(A)  identify barriers to receiving chronic care management services; and

(B)  make recommendations for increasing the appropriate use of chronic care management services.

SEC. 104. [42 U.S.C. 1395w-6] EMPOWERING BENEFICIARY CHOICES THROUGH CONTINUED ACCESS TO INFORMATION ON PHYSICIANS’ SERVICES.

(a)  In general.—On an annual basis (beginning with 2015), the Secretary shall make publicly available, in an easily understandable format, information with respect to physicians and, as appropriate, other eligible professionals on items and services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.).

(b)  Type and Manner of Information.—The information made available under this section shall be similar to the type of information in the Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Physician and Other Supplier Public Use File released by the Secretary with respect to 2012 and shall be made available in a manner similar to the manner in which the information in such file is made available.

(c)  Requirements.—The information made available under this section shall include, at a minimum, the following:

(1)  Information on the number of services furnished by the physician or other eligible professional under part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395j et seq.), which may include information on the most frequent services furnished or groupings of services.

(2)  Information on submitted charges and payments for services under such part.

(3)  A unique identifier for the physician or other eligible professional that is available to the public, such as a national provider identifier.

(d)  Searchability.—The information made available under this section shall be searchable by at least the following:

(1)  The specialty or type of the physician or other eligible professional.

(2)  Characteristics of the services furnished, such as volume or groupings of services.

(3)  The location of the physician or other eligible professional.

(e)  Integration on physician compare.—Beginning with 2016, the Secretary shall integrate the information made available under this section on Physician Compare.

(f)  Definitions.—In this section:

(1)  Eligible professional; physician; secretary.—The terms “eligible professional”, “physician”, and “Secretary” have the meaning given such terms in section 10331(i) of Public Law 111–148.[472]

(2)  Physician compare.—The term “Physician Compare” means the Physician Compare Internet website of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (or a successor website).

SEC. 105. [42 U.S.C. 1395kk-2] EXPANDING AVAILABILITY OF MEDICARE DATA.

(a) Expanding Uses of Medicare Data by Qualified Entities.—

(1) Additional analyses.—

(A)  In general.—Subject to subparagraph (B), to the extent consistent with applicable information, privacy, security, and disclosure laws (including paragraph (3)), notwithstanding paragraph (4)(B) of section 1874(e) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395kk(e)) and the second sentence of paragraph (4)(D) of such section, beginning July 1, 2016, a qualified entity may use the combined data described in paragraph (4)(B)(iii) of such section received by such entity under such section, and information derived from the evaluation described in such paragraph (4)(D), to conduct additional non-public analyses (as determined appropriate by the Secretary) and provide or sell such analyses to authorized users for non-public use (including for the purposes of assisting providers of services and suppliers to develop and participate in quality and patient care improvement activities, including developing new models of care).

(B) Limitations with respect to analyses.—

(i)  Employers.—Any analyses provided or sold under subparagraph (A) to an employer described in paragraph (9)(A)(iii) may only be used by such employer for purposes of providing health insurance to employees and retirees of the employer.

(ii)  Health insurance issuers.—A qualified entity may not provide or sell an analysis to a health insurance issuer described in paragraph (9)(A)(iv) unless the issuer is providing the qualified entity with data under section 1874(e)(4)(B)(iii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395kk(e)(4)(B)(iii)).

(2) Access to certain data.—

(A)  Access.—To the extent consistent with applicable information, privacy, security, and disclosure laws (including paragraph (3)), notwithstanding paragraph (4)(B) of section 1874(e) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395kk(e)) and the second sentence of paragraph (4)(D) of such section, beginning July 1, 2016, a qualified entity may—

(i)  provide or sell the combined data described in paragraph (4)(B)(iii) of such section to authorized users described in clauses (i), (ii), and (v) of paragraph (9)(A) for non-public use, including for the purposes described in subparagraph (B); or

(ii)  subject to subparagraph (C), provide Medicare claims data to authorized users described in clauses (i), (ii), and (v), of paragraph (9)(A) for non-public use, including for the purposes described in subparagraph (B).

(B)  Purposes described.—The purposes described in this subparagraph are assisting providers of services and suppliers in developing and participating in quality and patient care improvement activities, including developing new models of care.

(C)  Medicare claims data must be provided at no cost.—qualified entity may not charge a fee for providing the data under subparagraph (A)(ii).

(3) Protection of information.—

(A)  In general.—Except as provided in subparagraph (B), an analysis or data that is provided or sold under paragraph (1) or (2) shall not contain information that individually identifies a patient.

(B)  Information on patients of the provider of services or supplier.—To the extent consistent with applicable information, privacy, security, and disclosure laws, an analysis or data that is provided or sold to a provider of services or supplier under paragraph (1) or (2) may contain information that individually identifies a patient of such provider or supplier, including with respect to items and services furnished to the patient by other providers of services or suppliers.

(C)  Prohibition on using analyses or data for marketing purposes.—An authorized user shall not use an analysis or data provided or sold under paragraph (1) or (2) for marketing purposes.

(4)  Data use agreement.—A qualified entity and an authorized user described in clauses (i), (ii), and (v) of paragraph (9)(A) shall enter into an agreement regarding the use of any data that the qualified entity is providing or selling to the authorized user under paragraph (2). Such agreement shall describe the requirements for privacy and security of the data and, as determined appropriate by the Secretary, any prohibitions on using such data to link to other individually identifiable sources of information. If the authorized user is not a covered entity under the rules promulgated pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, the agreement shall identify the relevant regulations, as determined by the Secretary, that the user shall comply with as if it were acting in the capacity of such a covered entity.

(5) No redisclosure of analyses or data.—

(A)  In general.—Except as provided in subparagraph (B), an authorized user that is provided or sold an analysis or data under paragraph (1) or (2) shall not redisclose or make public such analysis or data or any analysis using such data.

(B)  Permitted redisclosure.—A provider of services or supplier that is provided or sold an analysis or data under paragraph (1) or (2) may, as determined by the Secretary, redisclose such analysis or data for the purposes of performance improvement and care coordination activities but shall not make public such analysis or data or any analysis using such data.

(6)  Opportunity for providers of services and supplier to review.—Prior to a qualified entity providing or selling an analysis to an authorized user under paragraph (1), to the extent that such analysis would individually identify a provider of services or supplier who is not being provided or sold such analysis, such qualified entity shall provide such provider or supplier with the opportunity to appeal and correct errors in the manner described in section 1874(e)(4)(C)(ii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395kk(e)(4)(C)(ii)).

(7) Assessment for a breach.—

(A)  In general.—In the case of a breach of a data use agreement under this section or section 1874(e) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395kk(e)), the Secretary shall impose an assessment on the qualified entity both in the case of—

(i)  an agreement between the Secretary and a qualified entity; and

(ii)  an agreement between a qualified entity and an authorized user.

(B)  Assessment.—The assessment under subparagraph (A) shall be an amount up to $100 for each individual entitled to, or enrolled for, benefits under part A of title XVIII of the Social Security Act or enrolled for benefits under part B of such title—

(i)  in the case of an agreement described in subparagraph (A)(i), for whom the Secretary provided data on to the qualified entity under paragraph (2); and

(ii)  in the case of an agreement described in subparagraph (A)(ii), for whom the qualified entity provided data on to the authorized user under paragraph (2).

(C)  Deposit on amounts collected.—Any amounts collected pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited in Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund under section 1841 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395t).

(8)  Annual reports.—Any qualified entity that provides or sells an analysis or data under paragraph (1) or (2) shall annually submit to the Secretary a report that includes—

(A)  a summary of the analyses provided or sold, including the number of such analyses, the number of purchasers of such analyses, and the total amount of fees received for such analyses;

(B)  a description of the topics and purposes of such analyses;

(C  information on the entities who received the data under paragraph (2), the uses of the data, and the total amount of fees received for providing, selling, or sharing the data; and

(D)  other information determined appropriate by the Secretary.

(9)  Definitions.—In this subsection and subsection (b):

(A)  Authorized user.—The term “authorized user” means the following:

(i)  A provider of services.

(ii)  A supplier.

(iii)  An employer (as defined in section 3(5) of the Employee Retirement Insurance Security Act of 1974).

(iv)  A health insurance issuer (as defined in section 2791 of the Public Health Service Act).

(v)  A medical society or hospital association.

(vi)  Any entity not described in clauses (i) through (v) that is approved by the Secretary (other than an employer or health insurance issuer not described in clauses (iii) and (iv), respectively, as determined by the Secretary).

(B)  Provider of services.—The term “provider of services” has the meaning given such term in section 1861(u) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(u)).

(C)  Qualified entity.—The term “qualified entity” has the meaning given such term in section 1874(e)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395kk(e)).

(D)  Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

(E)  Supplier.—The term “supplier” has the meaning given such term in section 1861(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(d)).

(b) Access to Medicare Data by Qualified Clinical Data Registries To Facilitate Quality Improvement.—

(1) Access.—

(A)  In general.—To the extent consistent with applicable information, privacy, security, and disclosure laws, beginning July 1, 2016, the Secretary shall, at the request of a qualified clinical data registry under section 1848(m)(3)(E) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w– 4(m)(3)(E)), provide the data described in subparagraph (B) (in a form and manner determined to be appropriate) to such qualified clinical data registry for purposes of linking such data with clinical outcomes data and performing risk-adjusted, scientifically valid analyses and research to support quality improvement or patient safety, provided that any public reporting of such analyses or research that identifies a provider of services or supplier shall only be conducted with the opportunity of such provider or supplier to appeal and correct errors in the manner described in subsection (a)(6).

(B)  Data described.—The data described in this subparagraph is—

(i)  claims data under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act; and

(ii)  if the Secretary determines appropriate, claims data under the Medicaid program under title XIX of such Act and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program under title XXI of such Act.

(2)  Fee.—Data described in paragraph (1)(B) shall be provided to a qualified clinical data registry under paragraph (1) at a fee equal to the cost of providing such data. Any fee collected pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be deposited in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Program Management Account.

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SEC. 106. REDUCING ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN AND OTHER PROVISIONS.

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(b) Promoting Interoperability of Electronic Health Record Systems.—

(1) Recommendations for achieving widespread ehr interoperability.—

(A)  Objective.—As a consequence of a significant Federal investment in the implementation of health information technology through the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs, Congress declares it a national objective to achieve widespread exchange of health information through interoperable certified EHR technology nationwide by December 31, 2018.

(B)  Definitions.—In this paragraph:

(i)  Widespread interoperability.—The term “widespread interoperability” means interoperability between certified EHR technology systems employed by meaningful EHR users under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs and other clinicians and health care providers on a nationwide basis.

(ii)  Interoperability.—The term “interoperability ” means the ability of two or more health information systems or components to exchange clinical and other information and to use the information that has been exchanged using common standards as to provide access to longitudinal information for health care providers in order to facilitate coordinated care and improved patient outcomes

(C)  Establishment of metrics.—Not later than July 1, 2016, and in consultation with stakeholders, the Secretary shall establish metrics to be used to determine if and to the extent that the objective described in subparagraph (A) has been achieved.

(D)  Recommendations if objective not achieved.—If the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that the objective described in subparagraph (A) has not been achieved by December 31, 2018, then the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report, by not later than December 31, 2019, that identifies barriers to such objective and recommends actions that the Federal Government can take to achieve such objective. Such recommended actions may include recommendations—

(i)  to adjust payments for not being meaningful EHR users under the Medicare EHR incentive programs; and

(ii)  for criteria for decertifying certified EHR technology products.

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(3) Study and report on the feasibility of establishing a mechanism to compare certified ehr technology products.—

(A)  Study.—The Secretary shall conduct a study to examine the feasibility of establishing one or more mechanisms to assist providers in comparing and selecting certified EHR technology products. Such mechanisms may include—

(i)  a website with aggregated results of surveys of meaningful EHR users on the functionality of certified EHR technology products to enable such users to directly compare the functionality and other features of such products; and

(ii)  information from vendors of certified products that is made publicly available in a standardized format.

The aggregated results of the surveys described in clause (i) may be made available through contracts with physicians, hospitals, or other organizations that maintain such comparative information described in such clause.

(B)  Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on mechanisms that would assist providers in comparing and selecting certified EHR technology products. The report shall include information on the benefits of, and resources needed to develop and maintain, such mechanisms.

(4)  Definitions.—In this subsection:

(A)  The term “certified EHR technology” has the meaning given such term in section 1848(o)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–4(o)(4)).

(B)  The term “meaningful EHR user” has the meaning given such term under the Medicare EHR incentive programs.

(C)  The term “Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs” means—

(i)  in the case of the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act, the incentive programs under section 1814(l)(3), section 1848(o), subsections (l) and (m) of section 1853, and section 1886(n) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395f(l)(3), 1395w– 4(o), 1395w–23, 1395ww(n)); and

(ii)  in the case of the Medicaid program under title XIX of such Act, the incentive program under subsections (a)(3)(F) and (t) of section 1903 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b).

(D)  The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

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(d) Rule of Construction Regarding Health Care Providers.—

(1)  In general.—Subject to paragraph (3), the development, recognition, or implementation of any guideline or other standard under any Federal health care provision shall not be construed to establish the standard of care or duty of care owed by a health care provider to a patient in any medical malpractice or medical product liability action or claim.

(2)  Definitions.—For purposes of this subsection:

(A)  Federal health care provision.—The term “Federal health care provision”’ means any provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111–148), title I or subtitle B of title II of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–152), or title XVIII or XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq., 42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).

(B)  Health care provider.—The term “health care provider” means any individual, group practice, corporation of health care professionals, or hospital—

(i)  licensed, registered, or certified under Federal or State laws or regulations to provide health care services; or

(ii)  required to be so licensed, registered, or certified but that is exempted by other statute or regulation.

(C)  Medical malpractice or medical product liability action or claim.—The term “medical malpractice or medical product liability action or claim” means a medical malpractice action or claim (as defined in section 431(7) of the Health Care Quality Improvement Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 11151(7))) and includes a liability action or claim relating to a health care provider’s prescription or provision of a drug, device, or biological product (as such terms are defined in section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321) or section 351 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262)).

(D)  State.—The term “State” includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and any other commonwealth, possession, or territory of the United States.

(3)  No preemption.—Nothing in paragraph (1) or any provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111–148), title I or subtitle B of title II of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–152), or title XVIII or XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq., 42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) shall be construed to preempt any State or common law governing medical professional or medical product liability actions or claims.

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SEC. 305. REPORT OF INSPECTOR GENERAL OF HHS ON USE OF EXPRESS LANE OPTION UNDER MEDICAID AND CHIP.

Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a report that—

(1)  provides data on the number of individuals enrolled in the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (referred to in this section as “Medicaid”) and the Children’s Health Insurance Program under title XXI of such Act (referred to in this section as “CHIP”) through the use of the Express Lane option under section 1902(e)(13) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(e)(13));

(2)  assesses the extent to which individuals so enrolled meet the eligibility requirements under Medicaid or CHIP (as applicable); and

(3)  provides data on Federal and State expenditures under Medicaid and CHIP for individuals so enrolled and disaggregates such data between expenditures made for individuals who meet the eligibility requirements under Medicaid or CHIP (as applicable) and expenditures made for individuals who do not meet such requirements.

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SEC. 511. GUIDANCE ON APPLICATION OF COMMON RULE TO CLINICAL DATA REGISTRIES.

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall issue a clarification or modification with respect to the application of subpart A of part 46 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, governing the protection of human subjects in research (and commonly known as the “Common Rule”), to activities, including quality improvement activities, involving clinical data registries, including entities that are qualified clinical data registries pursuant to section 1848(m)(3)(E) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w– 4(m)(3)(E)).

SEC. 512. ELIMINATING CERTAIN CIVIL MONEY PENALTIES; GAINSHARING STUDY AND REPORT.

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(b)  Gainsharing Study and Report.—Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, shall submit to Congress a report with options for amending existing fraud and abuse laws in, and regulations related to, titles XI and XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), through exceptions, safe harbors, or other narrowly targeted provisions, to permit gainsharing arrangements that otherwise would be subject to the civil money penalties described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1128A(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a–7a(b)), or similar arrangements between physicians and hospitals, and that improve care while reducing waste and increasing efficiency. The report shall—

(1)  consider whether such provisions should apply to ownership interests, compensation arrangements, or other relationships;

(2)  describe how the recommendations address accountability, transparency, and quality, including how best to limit inducements to stint on care, discharge patients prematurely, or otherwise reduce or limit medically necessary care; and

(3)  consider whether a portion of any savings generated by such arrangements (as compared to an historical benchmark or other metric specified by the Secretary to determine the impact of delivery and payment system changes under such title XVIII on expenditures made under such title) should accrue to the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act.

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SEC. 514. OVERSIGHT OF THE MEDICARE COVERAGE OF MANUAL MANIPULATION OF THE SPINE TO CORRECT SUBLUXATION.

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(b) Improving Documentation of Services.—

(1)  In general.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, in consultation with stakeholders (including the American Chiropractic Association) and representatives of medicare administrative contractors (as defined in section 1874A(a)(3)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395kk– 1(a)(3)(A))), develop educational and training programs to improve the ability of chiropractors to provide documentation to the Secretary of services described in section 1861(r)(5) in a manner that demonstrates that such services are, in accordance with section 1862(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)(1)), reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member.

(2)  Timing.—The Secretary shall make the educational and training programs described in paragraph (1) publicly available not later than January 1, 2016.

(3)  The Secretary shall use funds made available under paragraph (10) of section 1893(h) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ddd(h)), as added by section 505, to carry out this subsection.

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SEC. 515. NATIONAL EXPANSION OF PRIOR AUTHORIZATION MODEL FOR REPETITIVE SCHEDULED NON-EMERGENT AMBULANCE TRANSPORT.

(a) Initial Expansion.—

(1)  In general.—In implementing the model described in paragraph (2) proposed to be tested under subsection (b) of section 1115A of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1315a), the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall revise the testing under subsection (b) of such section to cover, effective not later than January 1, 2016, States located in medicare administrative contractor (MAC) regions L and 11 (consisting of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia).

(2)  Model described.—The model described in this paragraph is the testing of a model of prior authorization for repetitive scheduled non-emergent ambulance transport proposed to be carried out in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.

(3)  Funding.—The Secretary shall allocate funds made available under section 1115A(f)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1315a(f)(1)(B)) to carry out this subsection.

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SEC. 517. PLAN FOR EXPANDING DATA IN ANNUAL CERT REPORT.

Not later than June 30, 2015, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to the Committee on Finance of the Senate, and to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means of the House of Representatives—

(1)  a plan for including, in the annual report of the Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) program, data on services (or groupings of services) (other than medical visits) paid under the physician fee schedule under section 1848 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–4) where the fee schedule amount is in excess of $250 and where the error rate is in excess of 20 percent; and

(2)  to the extent practicable by such date, specific examples of services described in paragraph (1).

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[Internal References.—Footnote in the header for SSAct §1848 refers to §101. Footnote in header for Part B of refers to §103(b). Footnote in header for SSAct Title XVIII refers to §104. Footnote in headers for titles XIX and XXI refer to §305. Footnote for SSAct §1848(m)(3)(E) refers to §511. Footnote for SSAct §1128A(b) refers to §512(b). Footnote for SSAct §1861(r)(5) refers to §514. Footnote for SSAct §1115A(b) refers to §515. Footnote for SSAct §1848 refers to §517.]



[472]  42 U.S.C. 1395w-5 note.