II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2992

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to reimburse essential

access home health providers for the reasonable costs of providing home

health services in rural areas.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 27, 2000

Mr. BAUCUS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Finance

A BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to reimburse

essential access home health providers for the reasonable

costs of providing home health services in rural areas.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Restoring Essential

5 Access to Care in the Home (REACH) Act of 2000’’.
2

•S 2992 IS

1 SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT FOR HOME HEALTH SERVICES

2 FURNISHED BY ESSENTIAL ACCESS HOME

3 HEALTH PROVIDERS.

4 (a) EXEMPTION FROM HOME HEALTH INTERIM

5 PAYMENT SYSTEM.—Section 1861(v)(1)(L) of the Social

6 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(v)(1)(L)) is amended by

7 adding at the end the following new clause:

8 ‘‘(xi) The preceding provisions of this subparagraph

9 shall not apply to home health services that are furnished

10 on or after October 1, 2000, by an essential access home

11 health provider (as defined in section 1861(uu)).’’.

12 (b) EXEMPTION FROM HOME HEALTH PROSPECTIVE

13 PAYMENT SYSTEM.—

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1895 of the Social

15 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395fff) is amended by

16 adding at the end the following new subsection:

17 ‘‘(e) EXEMPTION.—The prospective payment system

18 established under this section shall not apply in deter19 mining payments for home health services furnished by

20 an essential access home health provider (as defined in

21 section 1861(uu)).’’.

22 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section

23 1833(a)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

24 1395(a)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting ‘‘home

25 health services described in section 1895(e) and

26 other than’’ after ‘‘other than’’.
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•S 2992 IS

1 (3) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Section

2 1833(a)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

3 1395(a)(2)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘drug) (as

4 defined in section 1861(kk))’’ and inserting ‘‘drug

5 (as defined in section 1861(kk)))’’.

6 (4) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made

7 by this subsection shall apply to cost reporting peri8 ods beginning on or after October 1, 2000.

9 (c) ESSENTIAL ACCESS HOME HEALTH PROVIDER

10 DEFINED.—Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42

11 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended by adding at the end the fol12 lowing new subsection:

13 ‘‘Essential Access Home Health Provider

14 ‘‘(uu) The term ‘essential access home health pro15 vider’ means a home health agency (as defined in sub16 section (o)) that is—

17 ‘‘(1) the only home health agency serving a lo18 cality;

19 ‘‘(2) a provider of home health services with an

20 agreement for the provision of such services under

21 the State medicaid program under title XIX; and

22 ‘‘(3)(A) owned and operated by a critical access

23 hospital, a rural health clinic, a Federally qualified

24 health center, a public health department, or a rural

25 hospital that has less than 50 beds; or
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•S 2992 IS

1 ‘‘(B) recognized by a State as an essential pro2 vider of home health services to a rural population

3 within a defined area.’’.

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