ADJUSTMENT IN PREVAILING CHARGE LEVEL FOR PRIMARY CARE SERVICES.

SEC. 4044. ADJUSTMENT IN PREVAILING CHARGE LEVEL FOR PRIMARY CARE SERVICES. (a) Increase in Prevailing Charges for Primary Care Services.— Section 1842(b)(4)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(4)(A)), as amended by section 4041(a)(1) of this subtitle, is further amended by redesignating clause (vi) as clause (vii) and by inserting after clause (v) the following new clause: “(vi) Before each year (beginning with 1989), the Secretary shall establish a prevailing charge floor for primary care services (as defined in subparagraph (E)(iii)) equal to 50 percent of the average of the prevailing charge levels (determined, for participating physicians under the third and fourth sentences of paragraph (3) and under paragraph (4), without regard to this clause and without regard to physician specialty) for such service for all localities in the United States (weighted by the relative frequency of the service in each locality) for the year.”. (b) Effective Date.— The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to payment for physicians’ services furnished on or after January 1, 1989.