(a) Authority To Conduct Project-
(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘Secretary') shall establish a demonstration project under title XIX of the Social Security Act to evaluate the use of bundled payments for the provision of integrated care for a Medicaid beneficiary--
(A) with respect to an episode of care that includes a hospitalization; and
(B) for concurrent physicians services provided during a hospitalization.
(2) DURATION- The demonstration project shall begin on January 1, 2012, and shall end on December 31, 2016.
(b) Requirements- The demonstration project shall be conducted in accordance with the following:
(1) The demonstration project shall be conducted in up to 8 States, determined by the Secretary based on consideration of the potential to lower costs under the Medicaid program while improving care for Medicaid beneficiaries. A State selected to participate in the demonstration project may target the demonstration project to particular categories of beneficiaries, beneficiaries with particular diagnoses, or particular geographic regions of the State, but the Secretary shall insure that, as a whole, the demonstration project is, to the greatest extent possible, representative of the demographic and geographic composition of Medicaid beneficiaries nationally.
(2) The demonstration project shall focus on conditions where there is evidence of an opportunity for providers of services and suppliers to improve the quality of care furnished to Medicaid beneficiaries while reducing total expenditures under the State Medicaid programs selected to participate, as determined by the Secretary.
(3) A State selected to participate in the demonstration project shall specify the 1 or more episodes of care the State proposes to address in the project, the services to be included in the bundled payments, and the rationale for the selection of such episodes of care and services. The Secretary may modify the episodes of care as well as the services to be included in the bundled payments prior to or after approving the project. The Secretary may also vary such factors among the different States participating in the demonstration project.
(4) The Secretary shall ensure that payments made under the demonstration project are adjusted for severity of illness and other characteristics of Medicaid beneficiaries within a category or having a diagnosis targeted as part of the demonstration project. States shall ensure that Medicaid beneficiaries are not liable for any additional cost sharing than if their care had not been subject to payment under the demonstration project.
(5) Hospitals participating in the demonstration project shall have or establish robust discharge planning programs to ensure that Medicaid beneficiaries requiring post-acute care are appropriately placed in, or have ready access to, post-acute care settings.
(6) The Secretary and each State selected to participate in the demonstration project shall ensure that the demonstration project does not result in the Medicaid beneficiaries whose care is subject to payment under the demonstration project being provided with less items and services for which medical a**istance is provided under the State Medicaid program than the items and services for which medical a**istance would have been provided to such beneficiaries under the State Medicaid program in the absence of the demonstration project.
(c) Waiver of Provisions- Notwithstanding section 1115(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1315(a)), the Secretary may waive such provisions of titles XIX, XVIII, and XI of that Act as may be necessary to accomplish the goals of the demonstration, ensure beneficiary access to acute and post-acute care, and maintain quality of care.
(d) Evaluation and Report-
(1) DATA- Each State selected to participate in the demonstration project under this section shall provide to the Secretary, in such form and manner as the Secretary shall specify, relevant data necessary to monitor outcomes, costs, and quality, and evaluate the rationales for selection of the episodes of care and services specified by States under subsection (b)(3).
(2) REPORT- Not later than 1 year after the conclusion of the demonstration project, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress on the results of the demonstration project.