ALLOWING PHYSICAL THERAPISTS TO UTILIZE LOCUM TENENS ARRANGEMENTS UNDER MEDICARE.

SEC. 16006. ALLOWING PHYSICAL THERAPISTS TO UTILIZE LOCUM TENENS ARRANGEMENTS UNDER MEDICARE. (a) In General.—The first sentence of section 1842(b)(6) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(6)), as amended by section 5012, is further amended— (1) by striking “and” before “(I)”; and (2) by inserting before the period at the end the following: “, and (J) in the case of outpatient physical therapy services furnished by physical therapists in a health professional shortage area (as defined in section 332(a)(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act), a medically underserved area (as designated pursuant to section 330(b)(3)(A) of such Act), or a rural area (as defined in section 1886(d)(2)(D)), subparagraph (D) of this sentence shall apply to such services and therapists in the same manner as such subparagraph applies to physicians’ services furnished by physicians”. (b) [42 U.S.C. 1395u note] Effective Date; Implementation.— (1) Effective date.—The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to services furnished beginning not later than six months after the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) Implementation.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services may implement subparagraph (J) of section 1842(b)(6) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(6)), as added by subsection (a)(2), by program instruction or otherwise.