I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2205
To amend section 4723 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to assure
that the additional funds provided for State emergency health services
furnished to undocumented aliens are used to reimburse hospitals and
their related providers that treat undocumented aliens and to increase
the funds so available for fiscal years 2000 and 2001.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 15, 1999
Mr. BILBRAY (for himself, Mr. HUNTER, Mrs. BONO, and Mr. REYES) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Com-
merce
A BILL
To amend section 4723 of the Balanced Budget Act of
1997 to assure that the additional funds provided for
State emergency health services furnished to undocu-
mented aliens are used to reimburse hospitals and their
related providers that treat undocumented aliens and
to increase the funds so available for fiscal years 2000
and 2001.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FUNDING FOR EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES
FURNISHED TO UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS.
(a) REQUIRING USE OF FUNDS TO ASSIST HOS-
PITALS
AND
RELATED
PROVIDERS
OF
EMERGENCY
HEALTH SERVICES TO UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS.—Sec-
tion 4723(c) of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (8
U.S.C. 1611 note) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—From the allotments made
under subsection (b), the Secretary shall pay to each
State amounts described in a State plan, submitted
to the Secretary, under which the amounts so allot-
ted will be paid—
‘‘(A) to hospitals and related providers of
emergency health services to undocumented
aliens that are located in—
‘‘(i) a metropolitan statistical area
with a population of 1,000,000 or more; or
‘‘(ii) a county that shares a border
with Mexico or Canada; and
‘‘(B) in a manner that takes into
account—
‘‘(i) each eligible hospital’s or related
provider’s payments under the State plan
approved under title XIX of the Social Se-
curity Act for emergency medical services
described in section 1903(v)(2)(A) of such
Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b(v)(2)(A)); or
‘‘(ii) an appropriate alternative proxy
for measuring the volume of emergency
health services provided to undocumented
aliens by eligible hospitals and related pro-
viders.
‘‘(2) DEFINITIONS; SPECIAL RULES.—For pur-
poses of this subsection:
‘‘(A) The term ‘hospital’ has the meaning
given such term in section 1861(e) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(e).
‘‘(B) The term ‘provider’ includes a physi-
cian, another health care professional, and an
entity that furnishes emergency ambulance
services.
‘‘(C) A provider shall be considered to be
‘related’ to a hospital to the extent that the
provider furnishes emergency health services to
an individual for whom the hospital also fur-
nishes emergency health services.
‘‘(D) Amounts paid under this subsection
shall not duplicate payment made under title
XIX of the Social Security Act for the provision
of emergency medical services described in sec-
tion 1903(v)(2)(A) of such Act.’’.
(b) INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF FUNDS AVAILABLE
FOR FISCAL YEARS 2000 AND 2001.—Section 4723(a) of
such Act is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘4 consecutive fiscal years’’ and
inserting ‘‘2 consecutive fiscal years’’; and
(2) by inserting after ‘‘$25,000,000’’ the fol-
lowing: ‘‘and for each of the fiscal years 2000 and
2001 ll,000,000’’.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section apply beginning with fiscal year 2000.
Æ