program for determining qualifications for certain health care personnel

program for determining qualifications for certain health care personnel Sec. 241. Title XI of the Social Security Act is amended by adding after section 1122 (as added by section 221(a) of this Act) the following new section: “program for determining qualifications for certain health care personnel “Sec. 1123. (a) The Secretary, in carrying out his functions relating to the qualifications for health care personnel under title XVIII, shall develop (in consultation with appropriate professional health organizations and State health and licensure agencies) and conduct (in conjunction with State health and licensure agencies) until December 31, 1977, a program designed to determine the proficiency of individuals (who do not otherwise meet the formal educational, professional membership, or other specific criteria established for determining the qualifications of practical nurses, therapists, laboratory technicians, and technologists, and cytotechnologists, X-ray technicians, psychiatric technicians, or other health care technicians and technologists) to perform the duties and functions of practical nurses, therapists, laboratory technicians, technologists, and cytotechnologists, X-ray technicians, psychiatric technicians, or other health care technicians and technologists. Such program shall include (but not be limited to) the employment of procedures for the formal testing of the proficiency of individuals. In the conduct of such program, no individual who otherwise meets the proficiency requirements for any health care specialty shall be denied a satisfactory proficiency rating solely because of his failure to meet formal educational or professional membership requirements. “(b) If any individual has been determined, under the program established pursuant to subsection (a), to be qualified to perform the duties and functions of any health care specialty, no person or provider utilizing the services of such individual to perform such duties and functions shall be denied payment, under title XVIII or under any State plan approved under title XIX, for any health care services provided by such person on the grounds that such individual is not qualified to perform such duties and functions.”