I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1819 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to enhance the access 

of Medicare beneficiaries who live in medically underserved areas to 

critical primary and preventive health care benefits at Federally qualified 

health centers. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 26, 2005 

Mr. WELLER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy 

and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to enhance 

the access of Medicare beneficiaries who live in medically 

underserved areas to critical primary and preventive 

health care benefits at Federally qualified health centers. 

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 ‘‘Medicare Payment Ad5 justment To Community Health Centers (PATCH) Act of 

6 2005’’. 
2 

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1 SEC. 2. DELIVERY OF MEDICARE-COVERED PRIMARY AND 

2 PREVENTIVE SERVICES AT FEDERALLY 

3 QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS. 

4 (a) COVERAGE OF MEDICARE-COVERED AMBULA5 TORY SERVICES BY FQHCS.—Section 1861(aa)(3) of the 

6 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)(3)) is amended 

7 to read as follows: 

8 ‘‘(3) The term ‘Federally qualified health center serv9 ices’ means— 

10 ‘‘(A) services of the type described in subpara11 graphs (A) through (C) of paragraph (1), and such 

12 other services furnished by a Federally qualified 

13 health center for which payment may otherwise be 

14 made under this title if such services were furnished 

15 by a health care provider or health care professional 

16 other than a Federally qualified health center; and 

17 ‘‘(B) preventive primary health services that a 

18 center is required to provide under section 330 of 

19 the Public Health Service Act, 

20 when furnished to an individual as a patient of a Federally 

21 qualified health center and such services when provided 

22 by a health care provider or health care professional em23 ployed by or under contract with a Federally qualified 

24 health center shall be treated as billable visits for purposes 

25 of payment to the Federally qualified health center.’’. 
3 

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1 (b) ENSURING FQHC REIMBURSEMENT FOR PA2 TIENTS OF HOSPITALS AND CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITALS

3 UNDER THE HOSPITAL PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYS4 TEM.—Section 1862(a)(14) of the Social Security Act (42 

5 U.S.C. 1395y(a)) is amended by inserting ‘‘Federally 

6 qualified health center services,’’ after ‘‘qualified psycholo7 gist services,’’. 

8 (c) TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.—Clauses (i) and 

9 (ii)(II) of section 1861(aa)(4)(A) of the Social Security 

10 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)(4)(A)) are each amended by 

11 striking ‘‘(other than subsection (h))’’. 

12 (d) EFFECTIVE DATES.—The amendments made— 

13 (1) by subsections (a) and (b) shall apply to 

14 services furnished on or after January 1, 2006; and 

15 (2) by subsection (c) shall take effect as if in16 cluded in the enactment of the Health Centers Con17 solidation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–299). 

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