ENCOURAGING CARE MANAGEMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC CARE NEEDS.

SEC. 103. ENCOURAGING CARE MANAGEMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC CARE NEEDS. (a) In general.—Section 1848(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: “(8) Encouraging care management for individuals with chronic care needs.— “(A) In general.—In order to encourage the management of care for individuals with chronic care needs the Secretary shall, subject to subparagraph (B), make payment (as the Secretary determines to be appropriate) under this section for chronic care management services furnished on or after January 1, 2015, by a physician (as defined in section 1861(r)(1)), physician assistant or nurse practitioner (as defined in section 1861(aa)(5)(A)), clinical nurse specialist (as defined in section 1861(aa)(5)(B)), or certified nurse midwife (as defined in section 1861(gg)(2)). “(B) Policies relating to payment.—In carrying out this paragraph, with respect to chronic care management services, the Secretary shall— “(i) make payment to only one applicable provider for such services furnished to an individual during a period; “(ii) not make payment under subparagraph (A) if such payment would be duplicative of payment that is otherwise made under this title for such services; and “(iii) not require that an annual wellness visit (as defined in section 1861(hhh)) or an initial preventive physical examination (as defined in section 1861(ww)) be furnished as a condition of payment for such management services.” . (b) Education and Outreach.— (1) [42 U.S.C. 1395w-4 note] Campaign.— (A) In general.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this subsection referred to as the “Secretary”) shall conduct an education and outreach campaign to inform professionals who furnish items and services under part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act and individuals enrolled under such part of the benefits of chronic care management services described in section 1848(b)(8) of the Social Security Act, as added by subsection (a), and encourage such individuals with chronic care needs to receive such services. (B) Requirements.—Such campaign shall— (i) be directed by the Office of Rural Health Policy of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Minority Health of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and (ii) focus on encouraging participation by underserved rural populations and racial and ethnic minority populations. (2) Report.—Not later than December 31, 2017, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the use of chronic care management services described in such section 1848(b)(8) by individuals living in rural areas and by racial and ethnic minority populations. Such report shall— (A) identify barriers to receiving chronic care management services; and (B) make recommendations for increasing the appropriate use of chronic care management services.