Index for HR3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act

To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.

Mr. Dingell (for himself, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Waxman, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Stark, Mr. Pallone, and Mr. Andrews) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, 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

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

(a) DME.—Section 1834(a)(11)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(a)(11)(B)) is amended by striking “physician” and inserting “physician enrolled under section 1866(j) or other professional, as determined by the Secretary”.

(b) Home health services.—

(1) PART A.—Section 1814(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395(a)(2)) is amended in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) by inserting “in the case of services described in subparagraph (C), a physician enrolled under section 1866(j) or other professional, as determined by the Secretary,” before “or, in the case of services”.

(2) PART B.—Section 1835(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395n(a)(2)) is amended in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) by inserting “, or in the case of services described in subparagraph (A), a physician enrolled under section 1866(j) or other professional, as determined by the Secretary,” after “a physician”.

(c) Discretion to expand application.—The Secretary may extend the requirement applied by the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) to durable medical equipment and home health services (relating to requiring certifications and written orders to be made by enrolled physicians and health professions) to other categories of items or services under this title, including covered part D drugs as defined in section 1860D–2(e), if the Secretary determines that such application would help to reduce the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse with respect to such other categories under title XVIII of the Social Security Act.

(d) Effective date.—The amendments made by this section shall apply to written orders and certifications made on or after July 1, 2010.