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[DOCID: f:s1592is.txt]






107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1592

To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to prohibit Federal funds 
from being used to provide payments under a Federal health care program 
   to any health care provider who charges a membership or any other 
  extraneous or incidental fee to a patient as a prerequisite for the 
            provision of an item or service to the patient.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 30, 2001

  Mr. Nelson of Florida introduced the following bill; which was read 
             twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to prohibit Federal funds 
from being used to provide payments under a Federal health care program 
   to any health care provider who charges a membership or any other 
  extraneous or incidental fee to a patient as a prerequisite for the 
            provision of an item or service to the patient.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Equal Access to Care Act''.

SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS TO PROVIDERS UNDER A FEDERAL HEALTH CARE 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Title XI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1301 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 1128F the following 
new section:

``SEC. 1128G. LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS TO PROVIDERS UNDER A FEDERAL 
              HEALTH CARE PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--No Federal funds shall be used to provide 
payments under a Federal health care program to any physician (as 
defined in section 1861(r)), practitioner (as described in section 
1842(b)(18)(C)), or other individual who charges a membership fee or 
any other extraneous or incidental fee to a patient, or requires a 
patient to purchase an item or service, as a prerequisite for the 
provision of an item or service to the patient.
    ``(b) Federal Health Care Program Defined.--In this section, the 
term `Federal health care program' has the meaning given that term 
under section 1128B(f) except that, for purposes of this section, such 
term includes the health insurance program under chapter 89 of title 5, 
United States Code.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) applies 
to payments made on or after the date of enactment of this Act.
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