HR 2108 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

112th CONGRESSCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

1st SessionCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

H. R. 2108CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modernize payments for ambulatory surgical centers under the Medicare program.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

June 3, 2011CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. SESSIONS (for himself, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Ms. BERKLEY, and Mr. CASSIDY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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 concernedCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

A BILLCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modernize payments for ambulatory surgical centers under the Medicare program.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality and Access Act of 2011’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. ALIGNING UPDATES FOR AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER SERVICES WITH UPDATES FOR OPD SERVICES.

Section 1833(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 13951(i)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by redesignating clause (vi) as clause (vii);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in the first sentence of clause (v), by inserting before the period the following: ‘and, in the case of 2012 or a subsequent year, by the adjustment described in subsection (t)(3)(G) for the respective year’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) by inserting after clause (v) the following new clause:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(vi) In implementing the system described in clause (i) for 2012 and each subsequent year, there shall be an annual update under such system for the year equal to the OPD fee schedule increase factor specified under subsection (t)(3)(C)(iv) for such year, adjusted in accordance with clauses (iv) and (v).’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. IMPROVING ASC QUALITY MEASURE REPORTING AND APPLYING VALUE-BASED PURCHASING TO ASCS.

(a) Quality Measures- Paragraph (7) of section 1833(i) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(i)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in subparagraph (A)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) in the first sentence, by inserting ‘(beginning with 2014)’ after ‘with respect to a year’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) by adding at the end the following: ‘Data required to be submitted on measures selected under this paragraph must be on measures that have been selected by the Secretary after consideration of public comments and in accordance with the process described in subparagraph (B). Such measures may include healthcare acquired infection measures appropriate for ambulatory surgery centers, prophylactic IV antibiotic timing, and patient falls. Ambulatory surgical centers determined by the Secretary to furnish a minimal number of items and services under this title with respect to a year shall not be subject to a reduction under this subparagraph for such year.’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in subparagraph (B)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) by striking ‘Except as the Secretary may otherwise provide, the’ and inserting ‘Except as provided in the subsequent sentence, the’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) by adding at the end the following: ‘In carrying out the previous sentence, the Secretary shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) ensure that measures meet the definition and process for identifying quality measures under subsections (a) and (b) of section 931 of the Public Health Service Act;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) ensure that measures are developed, selected, and modified in accordance with the development, selection, and modification processes for measures established under section 1890A and in accordance with section 1890;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) ensure that measures are selected, and a data submission process is implemented, under this paragraph in a manner that ensures ambulatory surgical centers are able to voluntarily submit data under this paragraph not later than January 1, 2013;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) make available an infrastructure which will allow ambulatory surgery centers to submit data on such measures through electronic and other means;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(v) ensure that the form and manner of submissions under this paragraph by ambulatory surgical centers shall include the option of submitting data with claims for payment under this part;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(vi) ensure that a mechanism is developed to allow an ambulatory surgical center to attest that the center did not furnish services applicable to selected measures for use under the Program established under paragraph (8); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(vii) establish and have in place, by not later than June 30, 2013, an informal process for ambulatory surgery centers to seek a review of and appeal the determination that an ambulatory surgical center did not satisfactorily submit data on quality measures.’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) To the extent that quality measures implemented by the Secretary under this paragraph for ambulatory surgical centers and under section 1833(t)(17) for hospital outpatient departments are applicable to the provision of surgical services in both ambulatory surgical centers and hospital outpatient departments, the Secretary shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) require that both ambulatory surgical centers and hospital outpatient departments report data on such measures; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) make reported data available on the website ‘Medicare.gov’ in a manner that will permit side-by-side comparisons on such measures for ambulatory surgical centers and hospital outpatient departments in the same geographic area.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) For each procedure covered for payment in an ambulatory surgical center, the Secretary shall publish, along with the quality reporting comparisons provided for in subparagraph (C), comparisons of the Medicare payment and beneficiary copayment amounts for the procedure when performed in ambulatory surgical centers and hospital outpatient departments in the same geographic area.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) The Secretary shall ensure that an ambulatory surgery center and a hospital has the opportunity to review, and submit any corrections for, the data to be made public with respect to the ambulatory surgery center under subparagraph (C)(ii) prior to such data being made public.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Ambulatory Surgical Center Value-Based Purchasing Program- Section 1833(i) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(8) VALUE-BASED PURCHASING PROGRAM-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT- The Secretary shall establish an ambulatory surgical center value-based purchasing program (in this subsection referred to as the ‘Program’) under which, subject to subparagraph (I), each ambulatory surgical center that the Secretary determines meets (or exceeds) the performance standards under subparagraph (D) for the performance period (as established under subparagraph (E)) for a calendar year is eligible, from the amounts made available in the total shared savings pool under subparagraph (I)(iv), for shared savings under subparagraph (I), which shall be in the form, after application of the adjustments under clauses (iv), (v), and (vi) of paragraph (2)(D), of an increase in the amount of payment determined under the payment system under paragraph (2)(D) for surgical services furnished by such center during the subsequent year, by the value-based percentage amount under subparagraph (H) specified by the Secretary for such center and year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) PROGRAM START DATE- The Program shall apply to payments for procedures occurring on or after January 1, 2015.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) MEASURES-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) IN GENERAL- For purposes of the Program, the Secretary shall select measures from the measures specified under paragraph (7).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) AVAILABILITY OF MEASURE AND DATA- The Secretary may not select a measure under this paragraph for use under the Program with respect to a performance period for a calendar year unless such measure has been included, and the reported data available, on the website ‘Medicare.gov’, for at least 1 year prior to the beginning of such performance period.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) MEASURE NOT APPLICABLE UNLESS ASC FURNISHES SERVICES APPROPRIATE TO MEASURE- A measure selected under this paragraph for use under the Program shall not apply to an ambulatory surgical center if such center does not furnish services appropriate to such measure.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) PERFORMANCE STANDARDS-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) ESTABLISHMENT- The Secretary shall establish performance standards with respect to measures selected under subparagraph (C)(i) for a performance period for a calendar year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) ACHIEVEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT- The performance standards established under clause (i) shall include levels of achievement and improvement.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) TIMING- The Secretary shall establish and announce the performance standards under clause (i) not later than 60 days prior to the beginning of the performance period for the calendar year involved.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) PERFORMANCE PERIOD- For purposes of the Program, the Secretary shall establish the performance period for a calendar year. Such performance period shall begin and end prior to the beginning of such calendar year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(F) ASC PERFORMANCE SCORE- The Secretary shall develop a methodology for assessing the total performance of each ambulatory surgery center based on performance standards with respect to the measures selected under subparagraph (C) for a performance period (as established under subparagraph (E)). Using such methodology, the Secretary shall provide for an assessment (in this subsection referred to as the ‘ASC performance score’) for each ambulatory surgical center for each performance period. The methodology shall provide that the ASC performance score is determined using the higher of its achievement or improvement score for each measure.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(G) APPEALS- The Secretary shall establish a process by which ambulatory surgery centers may appeal the calculation of the ambulatory surgery center’s performance with respect to the performance standards established under subparagraph (D) and the ambulatory surgery center performance score under subparagraph (E). The Secretary shall ensure that such process provides for resolution of appeals in a timely manner.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(H) CALCULATION OF VALUE-BASED INCENTIVE PAYMENT-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) VALUE-BASED PERCENTAGE AMOUNT- For purposes of subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall specify a value-based percentage amount for an ambulatory surgical center for a calendar year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) REQUIREMENTS- In specifying the value-based percentage amount for each ambulatory surgical center for a calendar year under clause (i), the Secretary shall ensure that such percentage is based on--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) the ASC performance score of the ambulatory surgery center under subparagraph (F); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II) the amount of the total savings pool made available under subparagraph (I)(iii)(I) for such year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) ANNUAL CALCULATION OF SHARED SAVINGS FUNDING FOR VALUE-BASED INCENTIVE PAYMENTS-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) DETERMINING BONUS POOL- In each year of the Program, ambulatory surgery centers shall be eligible to receive payment for shared savings under the Program only if for such year the sum of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) the estimated amount of expenditures under this title for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries (as defined in section 1899(h)(3)) for surgical services for which payment is made under the payment system under paragraph (2), adjusted for beneficiary characteristics, andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II) the estimated amount of expenditures under this title for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries (as so defined) for the same surgical services for which payment is made under the prospective payment system under subsection (t), adjusted for beneficiary characteristics,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





is at least the percent specified by the Secretary below the applicable benchmark determined for such year under clause (ii). For purposes of this subparagraph, such sum shall be referred to as ‘estimated expenditures’. The Secretary shall determine the appropriate percent described in the preceding sentence to account for normal variation in volume of services under this title and to account for changes in the coverage of services in ambulatory surgery centers and hospital outpatient departments during the performance period involved.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) ESTABLISH AND UPDATE BENCHMARK- For purposes of clause (i), the Secretary shall calculate a benchmark for each year described in such clause equal to the product of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) estimated expenditures described in clause (i) for such year, andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II) the average annual growth in estimated expenditures for the most recent three years.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Such benchmark shall be reset at the start of each calendar year, and adjusted for changes in enrollment under the Medicare fee-for-service program.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) PAYMENTS BASED ON SHARED SAVINGS- If the requirement under clause (i) is met for a year--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) 50 percent of the total savings pool estimated under clause (iv) for such year shall be made available for shared savings to be paid to ambulatory surgical centers under this paragraph;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II) a percent (as determined appropriate by the Secretary, in accordance with subparagraph (H)) of such amount made available for such year shall be paid as shared savings to each ambulatory surgery center that is determined under the Program to have met or exceeded performance scores for such year; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(III) all funds made available under subclause (I) for such year shall be used and paid as sharing savings for such year in accordance with subclause (II).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) ESTIMATE OF THE TOTAL SAVINGS POOL- For purposes of clause (iii), the Secretary shall estimate for each year of the Program the total savings pool as the product of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) the conversion factor for such year determined by the Secretary under the payment system under paragraph (2)(D) divided by the conversion factor calculated under subsection (t)(3)(C) for such year for covered OPD services, multiplied by 100, andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II)(aa) the product of the estimated Medicare expenditures for surgical services described in clause (i)(I) furnished during such year to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries (as defined in section 1899(h)(3)) for which payment is made under subsection (t) and the average annual growth in the estimated Medicare expenditures for such services furnished to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries (as so defined) for which payment is made under subsection (t) in the most recent available 3 years, lessCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(bb) the estimated Medicare expenditures for surgical services described in clause (i)(I) furnished to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries for which payment was made under subsection (t) in the most recent year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(J) NO EFFECT IN SUBSEQUENT CALENDAR YEARS- The value-based percentage amount under subparagraph (H) and the percent determined under subparagraph (I)(iii)(I) shall apply only with respect to the calendar year involved, and the Secretary shall not take into account such amount or percentage in making payments to an ambulatory surgery center under this section in a subsequent calendar year.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. APC PANEL REPRESENTATION.

(a) ASC Representative- The second sentence of section 1833(t)(9)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)(9)(A)) is amended by inserting ‘and suppliers subject to the prospective payment system (including at least one ambulatory surgical center representative)’ after ‘an appropriate selection of representatives of providers’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Effective Date- The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. ENSURING ACCESS TO SAME DAY SERVICES.

The conditions for coverage of ambulatory surgical center services specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant to section 1832(a)(2)(F)(i) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395k(a)(2)(F)(i)) shall not prohibit ambulatory surgical centers from providing individuals with any notice of rights or other required notice on the date of a procedure if more advance notice is not feasible under the circumstances, including when a procedure is scheduled and performed on the same day.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink