MEDICARE IMPROVEMENT FUND

Sec. 1898. [42 U.S.C. 1395iii] (a) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish under this title a Medicare Improvement Fund (in this section referred to as the “Fund”) which shall be available to the Secretary to make improvements under the original medicare^[1006] fee-for-service program under parts A and B for individuals entitled to, or enrolled for, benefits under part A or enrolled under part B including, but not limited to, an increase in the conversion factor under section 1848(d) to address, in whole or in part, any projected shortfall in the conversion factor for 2014 relative to the conversion factor for 2008 and adjustments to payments for items and services furnished by providers of services and suppliers under such original medicare fee-for-service program^[1007].

(b) Funding.—

(1) In general.—There shall be available to the Fund, for expenditures from the Fund for services furnished during—

(A) fiscal year 2014, $0^[1008];^[1009]

(B)[1010] fiscal year 2015, $275,000,000^[1011].

(C)[1012] fiscal year 2020 and each subsequent fiscal year, the Secretary’s estimate, as of July 1 of the fiscal year, of the aggregate reduction in expenditures under this title during the preceding fiscal year directly resulting from the reduction in payment amounts under sections 1848(a)(7), 1848(l)(4), 1853(m)(4), and 1886(b)(3)(B)(ix).

(2) Payment from trust funds.—The amount specified under paragraph (1) shall be available to the Fund, as expenditures are made from the Fund, from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund in such proportion as the Secretary determines appropriate.

(3) Funding limitation.—Amounts in the Fund shall be available in advance of appropriations but only if the total amount obligated from the Fund does not exceed the amount available to the Fund under paragraph (1). The Secretary may obligate funds from the Fund only if the Secretary determines (and the Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the appropriate budget officer certify) that there are available in the Fund sufficient amounts to cover all such obligations incurred consistent with the previous sentence.

(4)[1013] No effect on payments in subsequent years.—In the case that expenditures from the Fund are applied to, or otherwise affect, a payment rate for an item or service under this title for a year, the payment rate for such item or service shall be computed for a subsequent year as if such application or effect had never occurred.

^[1006]  P.L. 111-5, §4103(b)(1)(A), inserted “medicare”, effective February 17, 2009.

^[1007]  P.L. 111-5, §4103(b)(1)(B), inserted “including, but not limited to, an increase in the conversion factor under section 1848(d) to address, in whole or in part, any projected shortfall in the conversion factor for 2014 relative to the conversion factor for 2008 and adjustments to payments for items and services furnished by providers of services and suppliers under such original medicare fee-for-service program”, effective February 17, 2009.

^[1008]  P.L. 111-118, §1011(b)(1), struck out “$22,290,000,000” and inserted “$20,740,000,000”, effective December 19, 2009.

P.L. 111-148, §3112, struck out “$22,290,000,000”, and inserted “$0”, effective March 23, 2010. Executed as if, P.L. 111-148, §3112, struck out “$20,740,000,000” and inserted “$0”, effective March 23, 2010.

^[1009]  P.L. 111-118, §1011(b)(1)(B), struck out “and”.

^[1010]  P.L. 111-118, §1011(b)(3), added this new subparagraph (B), effective December 19, 2009.

^[1011]  P.L. 111-309, §207, struck out “$550,000,000” and inserted “$275,000,000”, effective December 15, 2010.

^[1012]  P.L. 111-5, §4103(b)(2)(A), struck out “during fiscal year 2014, $2,290,000,000 and, in addition for services furnished during fiscal years 2014 through 2017, $19,900,000,000”, and inserted “during—” and subparagraphs (A) and (B)*, effective February 17, 2009.

*P.L. 111-118, §1011(b)(2), redesignated the former subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C).

^[1013]  P.L. 111-5, §4103(b)(2)(B), added this new paragraph (4), effective February 17, 2009.