S 2942 — WELL Seniors Act of 2023

(a) Amounts Except as provided in section 1395mm of this title, and subject to the succeeding provisions of this section, there shall be paid from the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund, in the case of each individual who is covered under the insurance program established by this part and incurs expenses for services with respect to which benefits are payable under this part, amounts equal to— (1) in the case of services described in section 1395k(a)(1) of this title—80 percent of the reasonable charges for the services; except that (A) an organization which provides medical and other health services (or arranges for their availability) on a prepayment basis (and either is sponsored by a union or employer, or does not provide, or arrange for the provision of, any inpatient hospital services) may elect to be paid 80 percent of the reasonable cost of services for which payment may be made under this part on behalf of individuals enrolled in such organization in lieu of 80 percent of the reasonable charges for such services if the organization undertakes to charge such individuals no more than 20 percent of such reasonable cost plus any amounts payable by them as a result of subsection (b), (B) with respect to items and services described in section 1395x(s)(10)(A) of this title, the amounts paid shall be 100 percent of the reasonable charges for such items and services, (C) with respect to expenses incurred for those physicians’ services for which payment may be made under this part that are described in section 1395y(a)(4) of this title, the amounts paid shall be subject to such limitations as may be prescribed by regulations, (D) with respect to clinical diagnostic laboratory tests for which payment is made under this part (i)(I) on the basis of a fee schedule under subsection (h)(1) (for tests furnished before January 1, 2017) or subsection (d)(1) or (aa) of section 1395m of this title, the amount paid shall be equal to 80 percent (or 100 percent, in the case of such tests for which payment is made on an assignment-related basis) of the lesser of the amount determined under such fee schedule, the limitation amount for that test determined under subsection (h)(4)(B), or the amount of the charges billed for the tests, or (II) under section 1395m–1 of this title (for tests furnished on or after January 1, 2017), the amount paid shall be equal to 80 percent (or 100 percent, in the case of such tests for which payment is made on an assignment-related basis) of the lesser of the amount determined under such section or the amount of the charges billed for the tests, or (ii) for tests furnished before January 1, 2017, on the basis of a negotiated rate established under subsection (h)(6), the amount paid shall be equal to 100 percent of such negotiated rate,,1 (E) with respect to services furnished to individuals who have been determined to have end stage renal disease, the amounts paid shall be determined subject to the provisions of section 1395rr of this title, (F) with respect to clinical social worker services under section 1395x(s)(2)(N) of this title, the amounts paid shall be 80 percent of the lesser of (i) the actual charge for the services or (ii) 75 percent of the amount determined for payment of a psychologist under clause (L), (G) with respect to facility services furnished in connection with a surgical procedure specified pursuant to subsection (i)(1)(A) and furnished to an individual in an ambulatory surgical center described in such subsection, for services furnished beginning with the implementation date of a revised payment system for such services in such facilities specified in subsection (i)(2)(D), the amounts paid, subject to subsection (i)(9), shall be 80 percent of the lesser of the actual charge for the services or the amount determined by the Secretary under such revised payment system, (H) with respect to services of a certified registered nurse anesthetist under section 1395x(s)(11) of th...

(a) Payment for durable medical equipment (1) General rule for payment (A) In general With respect to a covered item (as defined in paragraph (13)) for which payment is determined under this subsection, payment shall be made in the frequency specified in paragraphs (2) through (7) and in an amount equal to 80 percent of the payment basis described in subparagraph (B). (B) Payment basis Subject to subparagraph (F)(i), the payment basis described in this subparagraph is the lesser of— (i) the actual charge for the item, or (ii) the payment amount recognized under paragraphs (2) through (7) of this subsection for the item; except that clause (i) shall not apply if the covered item is furnished by a public home health agency (or by another home health agency which demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that a significant portion of its patients are low income) free of charge or at nominal charges to the public. (C) Exclusive payment rule Subject to subparagraph (F)(ii), this subsection shall constitute the exclusive provision of this subchapter for payment for covered items under this part or under part A to a home health agency. (D) Reduction in fee schedules for certain items With respect to a seat-lift chair or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator furnished on or after April 1, 1990, the Secretary shall reduce the payment amount applied under subparagraph (B)(ii) for such an item by 15 percent, and, in the case of a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator furnished on or after January 1, 1991, the Secretary shall further reduce such payment amount (as previously reduced) by 45 percent. (E) Clinical conditions for coverage (i) In general The Secretary shall establish standards for clinical conditions for payment for covered items under this subsection. (ii) Requirements The standards established under clause (i) shall include the specification of types or classes of covered items that require, as a condition of payment under this subsection, a face-to-face examination of the individual by a physician (as defined in section 1395x(r) of this title), a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or a clinical nurse specialist (as those terms are defined in section 1395x(aa)(5) of this title) and a prescription for the item. (iii) Priority of establishment of standards In establishing the standards under this subparagraph, the Secretary shall first establish standards for those covered items for which the Secretary determines there has been a proliferation of use, consistent findings of charges for covered items that are not delivered, or consistent findings of falsification of documentation to provide for payment of such covered items under this part. (iv) Standards for power wheelchairs Effective on December 8, 2003, in the case of a covered item consisting of a motorized or power wheelchair for an individual, payment may not be made for such covered item unless a physician (as defined in section 1395x(r)(1) of this title), a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or a clinical nurse specialist (as those terms are defined in section 1395x(aa)(5) of this title) has conducted a face-to-face examination of the individual and written a prescription for the item. (v) Limitation on payment for covered items Payment may not be made for a covered item under this subsection unless the item meets any standards established under this subparagraph for clinical condition of coverage. (F) Application of competitive acquisition; limitation of inherent reasonableness authority In the case of covered items furnished on or after January 1, 2011, subject to subparagraphs (G) and (H), that are included in a competitive acquisition program in a competitive acquisition area under section 1395w–3(a) of this title— (i) the payment basis under this subsection for such items and services furnished in such area shall be the payment basis determined under such competitive acquisition program; (ii) the Secretary may (and, in the case of ...

For purposes of this subchapter— (a) Spell of illness The term “spell of illness” with respect to any individual means a period of consecutive days— (1) beginning with the first day (not included in a previous spell of illness) (A) on which such individual is furnished inpatient hospital services, inpatient critical access hospital services or extended care services, and (B) which occurs in a month for which he is entitled to benefits under part A, and (2) ending with the close of the first period of 60 consecutive days thereafter on each of which he is neither an inpatient of a hospital or critical access hospital nor an inpatient of a facility described in section 1395i–3(a)(1) of this title or subsection (y)(1). (b) Inpatient hospital services The term “inpatient hospital services” means the following items and services furnished to an inpatient of a hospital and (except as provided in paragraph (3)) by the hospital— (1) bed and board; (2) such nursing services and other related services, such use of hospital facilities, and such medical social services as are ordinarily furnished by the hospital for the care and treatment of inpatients, and such drugs, biologicals, supplies, appliances, and equipment, for use in the hospital, as are ordinarily furnished by such hospital for the care and treatment of inpatients; and (3) such other diagnostic or therapeutic items or services, furnished by the hospital or by others under arrangements with them made by the hospital, as are ordinarily furnished to inpatients either by such hospital or by others under such arrangements; excluding, however— (4) medical or surgical services provided by a physician, resident, or intern, services described by subsection (s)(2)(K), certified nurse-midwife services, qualified psychologist services, and services of a certified registered nurse anesthetist; and (5) the services of a private-duty nurse or other private-duty attendant. Paragraph (4) shall not apply to services provided in a hospital by— (6) an intern or a resident-in-training under a teaching program approved by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association or, in the case of an osteopathic hospital, approved by the Committee on Hospitals of the Bureau of Professional Education of the American Osteopathic Association, or, in the case of services in a hospital or osteopathic hospital by an intern or resident-in-training in the field of dentistry, approved by the Council on Dental Education of the American Dental Association, or in the case of services in a hospital or osteopathic hospital by an intern or resident-in-training in the field of podiatry, approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education of the American Podiatric Medical Association; or (7) a physician where the hospital has a teaching program approved as specified in paragraph (6), if (A) the hospital elects to receive any payment due under this subchapter for reasonable costs of such services, and (B) all physicians in such hospital agree not to bill charges for professional services rendered in such hospital to individuals covered under the insurance program established by this subchapter. (c) Inpatient psychiatric hospital services The term “inpatient psychiatric hospital services” means inpatient hospital services furnished to an inpatient of a psychiatric hospital. (d) Supplier The term “supplier” means, unless the context otherwise requires, a physician or other practitioner, a facility, or other entity (other than a provider of services) that furnishes items or services under this subchapter. (e) Hospital The term “hospital” (except for purposes of sections 1395f(d), 1395f(f), and 1395n(b) of this title, subsection (a)(2) of this section, paragraph (7) of this subsection, and subsection (i) of this section) means an institution which— (1) is primarily engaged in providing, by or under the supervision of physicians, to inpatients (A) diagnostic services and therapeutic services for medical ...