S 501 ISCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

112th CONGRESSCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

1st SessionCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

S. 501CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To establish pilot projects under the Medicare program to provide incentives for home health agencies to utilize home monitoring and communications technologies.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

March 8, 2011CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. THUNE introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on FinanceCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

A BILLCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To establish pilot projects under the Medicare program to provide incentives for home health agencies to utilize home monitoring and communications technologies.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 ‘Fostering Independence Through Technology Act of 2011’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. REMOTE MONITORING PILOT PROJECTS.

(a) Pilot Projects-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 9 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘Secretary’) shall conduct pilot projects under title XVIII of the Social Security Act for the purpose of providing incentives to home health agencies to utilize home monitoring and communications technologies that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) enhance health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) reduce expenditures under such title.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) SITE REQUIREMENTS-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) URBAN AND RURAL- The Secretary shall conduct the pilot projects under this section in both urban and rural areas.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) SITE IN A SMALL STATE- The Secretary shall conduct at least 1 of the pilot projects in a State with a population of less than 1,000,000.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) DEFINITION OF HOME HEALTH AGENCY- In this section, the term ‘home health agency’ has the meaning given that term in section 1861(o) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(o)).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Medicare Beneficiaries Within the Scope of Projects- The Secretary shall specify the criteria for identifying those Medicare beneficiaries who shall be considered within the scope of the pilot projects under this section for purposes of the application of subsection (c) and for the assessment of the effectiveness of the home health agency in achieving the objectives of this section. Such criteria may provide for the inclusion in the projects of Medicare beneficiaries who begin receiving home health services under title XVIII of the Social Security Act after the date of the implementation of the projects.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Incentives-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) PERFORMANCE TARGETS- The Secretary shall establish for each home health agency participating in a pilot project under this section a performance target using one of the following methodologies, as determined appropriate by the Secretary:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) ADJUSTED HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE TARGET- The Secretary shall establish for the agency--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) a base expenditure amount equal to the average total payments made to the agency under parts A and B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act for Medicare beneficiaries determined to be within the scope of the pilot project in a base period determined by the Secretary; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) an annual per capita expenditure target for such beneficiaries, reflecting the base expenditure amount adjusted for risk and adjusted growth rates.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE TARGET- The Secretary shall establish for the agency a comparative performance target equal to the average total payments under such parts A and B during the pilot project for comparable individuals in the same geographic area that are not determined to be within the scope of the pilot project.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) INCENTIVE- Subject to paragraph (3), the Secretary shall pay to each participating home care agency an incentive payment for each year under the pilot project equal to a portion of the Medicare savings realized for such year relative to the performance target under paragraph (1).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES- The Secretary shall limit incentive payments under this section in order to ensure that the aggregate expenditures under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (including incentive payments under this subsection) do not exceed the amount that the Secretary estimates would have been expended if the pilot projects under this section had not been implemented.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Waiver Authority- The Secretary may waive such provisions of titles XI and XVIII of the Social Security Act as the Secretary determines to be appropriate for the conduct of the pilot projects under this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Report to Congress- Not later than 5 years after the date that the first pilot project under this section is implemented, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot projects. Such report shall contain a detailed description of issues related to the expansion of the projects under subsection (f) and recommendations for such legislation and administrative actions as the Secretary considers appropriate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(f) Expansion- If the Secretary determines that any of the pilot projects under this section enhance health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries and reduce expenditures under title XVIII of the Social Security Act, the Secretary may initiate comparable projects in additional areas.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(g) Incentive Payments Have No Effect on Other Medicare Payments to Agencies- An incentive payment under this section--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) shall be in addition to the payments that a home health agency would otherwise receive under title XVIII of the Social Security Act for the provision of home health services; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) shall have no effect on the amount of such payments.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink