direct laboratory billing of patients

direct laboratory billing of patientsSec. 279. (a) Section 1833(a) (1) of the Social Security Act (as amended by section 211(c)(4) of this Act) is further amended by— (1) striking out “and” before “(C)”; (2) inserting before the semicolon at the end thereof the following: “, and (D) with respect to diagnostic tests performed in a laboratory for which payment is made under this part to the laboratory, the amounts paid shall be equal to 100 percent of the negotiated rate for such tests (as determined pursuant to subsection (g) of this section)”. (b) Section 1833 of such Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following subsection: “(g) With respect to diagnostic tests performed in a laboratory for which payment is made under this part to the laboratory, the Secretary is authorized to establish a payment rate which is acceptable to the laboratory and which would be considered the full charge for such tests. Such negotiated rate shall be limited to an amount not in excess of the total payment that would have been made for the services in the absence of such a rate.”