S. 2186 — Introduced in Senate

II 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2186 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 31, 2014 Mr. Begich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a minimum Medicare payment rate for primary care services furnished by primary care physicians. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Medicare Access Improvement Act of 2014. 2. Findings Congress finds that the 2010 Report to Congress of the Interagency Access to Health Care In Alaska Task Force found that— (1) there is a shortage of primary care Medicare providers in Alaska, a problem most severe in Anchorage but evident in Fairbanks as well as in rural Alaska; (2) the main reason physicians give for not wanting to add new Medicare patients is their perception of Medicare’s inadequate reimbursement; (3) the Medicare program has the lowest reimbursement level of the six primary payers of health care in Alaska; (4) the typical physician can have a viable practice in Alaska without servicing any Medicare patients; and (5) many in the provider community believe that a fair, adequate, and uniform Federal rate would alleviate existing provider shortages in Alaska. 3. Minimum Medicare payment rate for primary care services furnished by primary care physicians Section 1848(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–4(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (8) Minimum payment rate for primary care services furnished by primary care physicians (A) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, subject to paragraphs (3), (7), and (8) of subsection (a) and subsection (p), the payment rate under the fee schedule under this section for primary care services (as defined in subparagraph (B)) furnished in 2015 and 2016 by a physician with a primary specialty designation of family medicine, general internal medicine, or geriatric medicine may not be less than 100 percent of the payment rate that applied in 2013 to such services and such a physician under the Medicaid plan under title XIX for the State in which the service is furnished. (B) Primary care services defined In subparagraph (A), the term primary care services means evaluation and management services that are procedure codes for services in the category designated Evaluation and Management in the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (established by the Secretary under subsection (c)(5) as of December 31, 2014, and as subsequently modified). .