ANESTHESIA SERVICES.

SEC. 6106. ANESTHESIA SERVICES. (a) Counting Actual Time Units for Anesthesia Services and Codification of Previous Authority.—Section 1842 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: “(q)(1) The Secretary, in consultation with groups representing physicians who furnish anesthesia services, shall establish by regulation a relative value guide for use in all carrier localities in making payment for physician anesthesia services furnished under this part Such guide shall be designed so as to result in expenditures under this title for such services in an amount that would not exceed the amount of such expenditures which would otherwise occur. “(2) For purposes of payment for anesthesia services (whether furnished by physicians or by certified registered nurse anesthetists) under this part, the time units shall be counted based on actual time rather than rounded to full time units.”. (b) Effective Date.—The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to services furnished on or after April 1, 1990.