ADJUSTMENTS IN PAYMENT FOR IMAGING SERVICES.

SEC. 5102. ADJUSTMENTS IN PAYMENT FOR IMAGING SERVICES.(a) Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction for Imaging Exempted From Budget Neutrality.—Section 1848(c)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–4(c)(2)(B)) is amended—(1) in clause (ii)(II), by striking “clause (iv)” and inserting “clauses (iv) and (v)”;(2) in clause (iv) in the heading, by inserting “of certain additional expenditures” after “Exemption”; and(3) by adding at the end the following new clause:“(v) Exemption of certain reduced expenditures from budget-neutrality calculation.—The following reduced expenditures, as estimated by the Secretary, shall not be taken into account in applying clause (ii)(II):“(I) Reduced payment for multiple imaging procedures.—Effective for fee schedules established beginning with 2007, reduced expenditures attributable to the multiple procedure payment reduction for imaging under the final rule published by the Secretary in the Federal Register on November 21, 2005 (42 CFR 405, et al.) insofar as it relates to the physician fee schedules for 2006 and 2007.”.(b) Reduction in Physician Fee Schedule to OPD Payment Amount for Imaging Services.—Section 1848 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–4) is amended—(1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following new paragraph:“(4) Special rule for imaging services.—“(A) In general.—In the case of imaging services described in subparagraph (B) furnished on or after January 1, 2007, if—“(i) the technical component (including the technical component portion of a global fee) of the service established for a year under the fee schedule described in paragraph (1) without application of the geographic 120 STAT. 40 adjustment factor described in paragraph (1)(C), exceeds“(ii) the Medicare OPD fee schedule amount established under the prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services under paragraph (3)(D) of section 1833(t) for such service for such year, determined without regard to geographic adjustment under paragraph (2)(D) of such section,the Secretary shall substitute the amount described in clause (ii), adjusted by the geographic adjustment factor described in paragraph (1)(C), for the fee schedule amount for such technical component for such year.“(B) Imaging services described.—For purposes of subparagraph (A), imaging services described in this subparagraph are imaging and computer-assisted imaging services, including X-ray, ultrasound (including echocardiography), nuclear medicine (including positron emission tomography), magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and fluoroscopy, but excluding diagnostic and screening mammography.”; and(2) in subsection (c)(2)(B)(v), as added by subsection (a)(3), by adding at the end the following new subclause:“(II) OPD payment cap for imaging services.—Effective for fee schedules established beginning with 2007, reduced expenditures attributable to subsection (b)(4).”.