U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 1395iii. Medicare Improvement Fund

(a) Establishment

The Secretary shall establish under this subchapter 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 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 1395w–4 (d) of this title 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.

(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, $20,740,000,000;

(B) fiscal year 2015, $550,000,000; and

(C) 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 subchapter during the preceding fiscal year directly resulting from the reduction in payment amounts under sections 1395w–4 (a)(7), 1395w–23 (l)(4), 1395w–23 (m)(4), and 1395ww (b)(3)(B)(ix) of this title.

(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) 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 subchapter 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.

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