SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY SERVICES.

SEC. 143. SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY SERVICES.(a) In General.—Section 1861(ll) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(ll)) is amended—(1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; and(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new paragraph:“(2) The term ‘outpatient speech-language pathology services’ has the meaning given the term ‘outpatient physical therapy services’ in subsection (p), except that in applying such subsection—“(A) ‘speech-language pathology’ shall be substituted for ‘physical therapy’ each place it appears; and“(B) ‘speech-language pathologist’ shall be substituted for ‘physical therapist’ each place it appears.”.(b) Conforming Amendments.—(1) Section 1832(a)(2)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395k(a)(2)(C)) is amended—(A) by striking “and outpatient” and inserting “, outpatient”; and(B) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: “, and outpatient speech-language pathology services (other than services to which the second sentence of section 1861(p) applies through the application of section 1861(ll)(2))”.(2) Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 1833(a)(8) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(8)) are each amended 122 STAT. 2543 by striking “(which includes outpatient speech-language pathology services)” and inserting “, outpatient speech-language pathology services,”.(3) Section 1833(g)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(g)(1)) is amended—(A) by inserting “and speech-language pathology services of the type described in such section through the application of section 1861(ll)(2)” after “1861(p)”; and(B) by inserting “and speech-language pathology services” after “and physical therapy services”.(4) The second sentence of section 1835(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395n(a)) is amended—(A) by striking “section 1861(g)” and inserting “subsection (g) or (ll)(2) of section 1861” each place it appears; and(B) by inserting “or outpatient speech-language pathology services, respectively” after “occupational therapy services”.(5) Section 1861(p) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(p)) is amended by striking the fourth sentence.(6) Section 1861(s)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)(D)) is amended by inserting “, outpatient speech-language pathology services,” after “physical therapy services”.(7) Section 1862(a)(20) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)(20)) is amended—(A) by striking “outpatient occupational therapy services or outpatient physical therapy services” and inserting “outpatient physical therapy services, outpatient speech-language pathology services, or outpatient occupational therapy services”; and(B) by striking “section 1861(g)” and inserting “subsection (g) or (ll)(2) of section 1861”.(8) Section 1866(e)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395cc(e)(1)) is amended—(A) by striking “section 1861(g)” and inserting “subsection (g) or (ll)(2) of section 1861” the first two places it appears;(B) by striking “defined) or” and inserting “defined),”; and(C) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: “, or (through the operation of section 1861(ll)(2)) with respect to the furnishing of outpatient speech-language pathology”.(9) Section 1877(h)(6) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395nn(h)(6)) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:“(L) Outpatient speech-language pathology services.”.(c) Effective Date.—The amendments made by this section shall apply to services furnished on or after July 1, 2009.(d) Construction.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect existing regulations and policies of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that require physician oversight of care as a condition of payment for speech-language pathology services under part B of the Medicare program.122 STAT. 2544