Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 113 Part 2.djvu/851

 PUBLIC LAW 106-113—APPENDIX F 113 STAT. 1501A-333 as preventing the Secretary from providing for an adjustment to payments to take into account the early transfer of a patient from a rehabilitation facility to another site of care.". (b) STUDY ON IMPACT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM. — (1) STUDY.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall conduct a study of the impact on utilization and beneficiary access to services of the implementation of the medicare prospective payment system for inpatient hospital services or rehabilitation facilities under section 1886(j) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395wwCi)). (2) REPORT. —Not later than 3 years after the date such system is first implemented, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on such study. (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.— The amendments made by subsection (a) are effective as if included in the enactment of section 4421(a) ofBBA. Subtitle D—Hospice Care SEC. 131. TEMPORARY INCREASE IN PAYMENT FOR HOSPICE CARE. (a) INCREASE FOR FISCAL YEARS 2001 AND 2002.— For purposes of payments under section 1814(i)(l)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395f(i)(l)(C)) for hospice care furnished during fiscal years 2001 and 2002, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall increase the payment rate in effect (but for this section) for— (1) fiscal year 2001, by 0.5 percent, and (2) fiscal year 2002, by 0.75 percent. (b) ADDITIONAL PAYMENT NOT BUILT INTO THE BASE.— The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall not include any additional payment made under this subsection (a) in updating the payment rate, as increased by the applicable market basket percentage increase for the fiscal year involved under section 1814(i)(l)(C)(ii) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 1395f(i)(l)(C)(ii)). SEC. 132. STUDY AND REPORT TO CONGRESS REGARDING MODIFICA- TION OF THE PAYMENT RATES FOR HOSPICE CARE. (a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study to determine the feasibility and advisability of updating the payment rates and the cap amount determined with respect to a fiscal year under section 1814(i) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395f(i)) for routine home care and other services included in hospice care. Such study shall examine the cost factors used to determine such rates and such amount and shall evaluate whether such factors should be modified, eliminated, or supplemented with additional cost factors. (b) REPORT.— Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under subsection (a), together with any recommendations for legislation that the Comptroller General determines to be appropriate as a result of such study.

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