Rural Health Clinic Protection Act
Bill: S.935 | Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck (R-IA)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Rural Health Clinic Protection Act
This bill applies certain modified payment limits to rural health clinics that temporarily enrolled in Medicare during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 or that applied to enroll by December 31, 2020.

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make technical 
              corrections to rural health clinic payments.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Health Clinic Protection 
Act''.

SEC. 2. RURAL HEALTH CLINIC PAYMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1833(f)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395l(f)(3)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)--
                    (A) in clause (i), by striking subclauses (I) and 
                (II) and inserting the following:
                                    ``(I) with respect to a rural 
                                health clinic that had a per visit 
                                payment amount established for services 
                                furnished in 2020--
                                            ``(aa) the per visit 
                                        payment amount applicable to 
                                        such rural health clinic for 
                                        rural health clinic services 
                                        furnished in 2020, increased by 
                                        the percentage increase in the 
                                        MEI applicable to primary care 
                                        services furnished as of the 
                                        first day of 2021; or
                                            ``(bb) the limit described 
                                        in paragraph (2)(A); and
                                    ``(II) with respect to a rural 
                                health clinic that did not have a per 
                                visit payment amount established for 
                                services furnished in 2020--
                                            ``(aa) the per visit 
                                        payment amount applicable to 
                                        such rural health clinic for 
                                        rural health clinic services 
                                        furnished in 2021; or
                                            ``(bb) the limit described 
                                        in paragraph (2)(A); and''; and
                    (B) in clause (ii)(I), by striking ``under clause 
                (i)(I)'' and inserting ``under subclause (I) or (II) of 
                clause (i), as applicable,''; and
            (2) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the 
        following:
    ``(B) A rural health clinic described in this subparagraph is a 
rural health clinic that--
            ``(i) as of December 31, 2020, was in a hospital with less 
        than 50 beds and after such date such hospital continues to 
        have less than 50 beds (not taking into account any increase in 
        the number of beds pursuant to a waiver under subsection 
        (b)(1)(A) of section 1135 during the emergency period described 
        in subsection (g)(1)(B) of such section); and
            ``(ii)(I) as of December 31, 2020, was enrolled under 
        section 1866(j) (including temporary enrollment during such 
        emergency period for such emergency period); or
            ``(II) submitted an application for enrollment under 
        section 1866(j) (or a request for such a temporary enrollment 
        for such emergency period) that was received not later than 
        December 31, 2020.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect as if included in the enactment of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260).
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