I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1955 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make permanent the 

extension of the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program and the 

increased payments under the Medicare low-volume hospital program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 5, 2017 

Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. WELCH) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make 

permanent the extension of the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program and the increased payments under 

the Medicare low-volume hospital program. 

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 ‘‘Rural Hospital Access 

5 Act of 2017’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF THE MEDICARE-DEPENDENT HOS2 PITAL (MDH) PROGRAM. 

3 (a) EXTENSION OF PAYMENT METHODOLOGY.—Sec4 tion 1886(d)(5)(G) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

5 1395ww(d)(5)(G)) is amended— 

6 (1) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘, and before Octo7 ber 1, 2017’’; and 

8 (2) in clause (ii)(II), by striking ‘‘, and before 

9 October 1, 2017’’. 

10 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

11 (1) EXTENSION OF TARGET AMOUNT.—Section 

12 1886(b)(3)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

13 1395ww(b)(3)(D)) is amended— 

14 (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 

15 striking ‘‘, and before October 1, 2017’’; and 

16 (B) in clause (iv), by striking ‘‘through fis17 cal year 2017’’ and inserting ‘‘or a subsequent 

18 fiscal year’’. 

19 (2) PERMITTING HOSPITALS TO DECLINE RE20 CLASSIFICATION.—Section 13501(e)(2) of the Omni21 bus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 

22 1395ww note) is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year 

23 2000 through fiscal year 2017’’ and inserting ‘‘a 

24 subsequent fiscal year’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF THE INCREASED PAYMENTS UNDER 

2 THE MEDICARE LOW-VOLUME HOSPITAL 

3 PROGRAM. 

4 Section 1886(d)(12) of the Social Security Act (42 

5 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(12)) is amended— 

6 (1) in subparagraph (B)— 

7 (A) in the heading, by inserting ‘‘FOR FIS8 CAL YEARS 2005 THROUGH 2010’’ after ‘‘IN9 CREASE’’; and 

10 (B) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 

11 striking ‘‘and for discharges occurring in fiscal 

12 year 2018 and subsequent fiscal years’’; 

13 (2) in subparagraph (C)(i)— 

14 (A) by striking ‘‘fiscal years 2011 through 

15 2017’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘fis16 cal year 2011 and each subsequent year’’; and 

17 (B) by striking ‘‘or portion of fiscal year’’; 

18 and 

19 (3) in subparagraph (D)— 

20 (A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘TEM21 PORARY APPLICABLE PERCENTAGE INCREASE’’ 

22 and inserting ‘‘APPLICABLE PERCENTAGE IN23 CREASE BEGINNING WITH FISCAL YEAR 2011’’; 

24 (B) by striking ‘‘fiscal years 2011 through 

25 2017,’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 2011 and 

26 each subsequent fiscal year’’; and 


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1 (C) by striking ‘‘or the portion of fiscal 

2 year’’ each place it appears. 

Æ 


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