PUBLIC LAW 106-554—APPENDIX F 114 STAT. 2763A-515 "(4) Establishment of payment rates, through negotiation or otherwise, under a program agreement or a program administration contract. "(5) A determination with respect to the program (where specifically authorized by the program authority or by subsection (c)(2))— "(A) as to whether cost savings have been achieved, and the amount of savings; or "(B) as to whether, to whom, and in what amounts bonuses will be paid. "(e) APPLICATION LIMITED TO PARTS A AND B. — None of the provisions of this section or of the demonstration program shall apply to the programs under part C. "(f) REPORTS TO CONGRESS. — Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this section, and biennially thereafter for six years, the Secretary shall report to Congress on the use of authorities under the demonstration program. Each report shall address the impact of the use of those authorities on expenditures, access, and quality under the programs under this title.". (b) GAG REPORT. — Not later than 2 years after the date on which the demonstration project under section 1866A of the Social Security Act, as added by subsection (a), is implemented, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on such demonstration project. The report shall include such recommendations with respect to changes to the demonstration project that the Comptroller General determines appropriate. SEC. 413. STUDY ON ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES FOR GROUPS THAT RETAIN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR PHYSICIANS. (a) IN GENERAL. — The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study of the current medicare enrollment process for groups that retain independent contractor physicians with particular emphasis on hospital-based physicians, such as emergency department staffing groups. In conducting the evaluation, the Comptroller General shall consult with groups that retain independent contractor physicians and shall— (1) review the issuance of individual medicare provider numbers and the possible medicare program integrity vulnerabilities of the current process; (2) review direct and indirect costs associated with the current process incurred by the medicare program and groups that retain independent contractor physicians; (3) assess the effect on program integrity by the enrollment of groups that retain independent contractor hospital-based physicians; and (4) develop suggested procedures for the enrollment of these groups. (b) REPORT. — Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under subsection (a).
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