,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cbcj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,january #bh1  
#bjbj,ms4 ,cortez ,masto 7for herself   
and ,mr4 ,portman7 introduced the       
following bill2 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 an extension of funding for         
technical assistance to small practices 
and practices in health professional    
shortage areas under the ,merit-based   
,incentive ,payment ,system 7,,mips74   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,technical ,assistance for      
,small and ,underserved ,providers to   
,prevent ,oversights and ,refocus on    
,treatment ,act or the ,,ta ,,support   
,act4  #b4 ,extension of funding for    
technical assistance to small practices 
and practices in health professional    
shortage areas under ,,mips  7a7 ,in    
general ,section #ahdh7q77#aa77;,b7 of  
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         

,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#d7q77#aa77;,b77 is    
amended by striking through #bjbj and   
inserting through #bjbe4  7b7 ,study and
 report  7#a7 ,study ,the ,secretary of 
,health and ,human ,services 7in this   
subsection referred to as the           
,secretary7 shall conduct a study on the
 impact of the technical assistance     
funded under paragraph 7#aa7 of section 
#ahdh7q7 of the ,social ,security ,act  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#d7q774 ,such     
study shall include an analysis of--    
7,a7 the practices that have received   
technical assistance through such       
funding2 and  7,b7 the progress that    
professionals in such practices have    
made to improve within the ,merit-based 
,incentive ,payment ,system 7,,mips7    
under such section #ahdh7q72 and  7,c7  
the progress that professionals in such 
practices have made to transition to the
 implementation of and participation in 
an alternative payment model as         
described in section #ahcc7z77#c77;,c7  
of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4             

#aciel7z77#c77;,c774  7#b7 ,report ,not 
later than #ahj days after the date of  
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall submit to ,congress a report on   
the study conducted under paragraph     
7#a71 together with recommendations for 
such legislation and administrative     
action as the ,secretary determines     
appropriate4