Nussle and McIntyre are co-chairmen of the bipartisan House Rural Health Care Coalition, which has increased membership to 146 members thus far this Congress. Rural areas all across the country face unique challenges in meeting the needs of their citizens. In addition, the Coalition is committed to ensuring that rural hospitals have the resources they need to meet the challenges they face. If a hospital closes in a town the size of Manchester, Iowa or Lumberton, N.C., we're done.
Economic development is done.
Our bill addresses that potential loss by repealing the hospital transfer penalty, exempting certain types of hospitals from the new outpatient prospective payment system, and making it easier for hospitals to apply for increased Medicare Reimbursements. Triple-A Rural Health Improvement Act of 1999 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System Directs HCFA to establish a methodology that guarantees health care services will continue to be available to beneficiaries in rural and frontier communities. HCFA would be required to establish a payment floor that protects low-volume, rural providers from the effects of the new outpatient PPS system. Hospital Transfer Penalty Repeals the hospital transfer penalty that is imposed on hospitals that transfer patients to other care settings before the DRG payment period has expired. Sole Community Hospital Payment Update Updates the base cost-reporting period from 1982 to the most recent audit year for Sole Community Hospitals.