Title: Save Our Rural Health Providers Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Save Our Rural Health Providers Act
This bill requires a specific portion of the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to be allocated to rural health care providers responding to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill requires that at least 20% of future appropriations and the unobligated balance of prior appropriations to the fund relating to COVID-19 provider assistance be reserved for rural health care providers, with priority given to providers serving a high number of Medicare or Medicaid enrollees, elderly or other high-risk individuals, uninsured individuals, or areas with limited health infrastructure.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3823 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3823

To ensure that a portion of funds appropriated to the Public Health and 
  Social Services Emergency Fund for payments to eligible health care 
 providers is reserved for such providers located in rural areas, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 21, 2020

     Mr. Manchin (for himself, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, and Ms. Murkowski) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To ensure that a portion of funds appropriated to the Public Health and 
  Social Services Emergency Fund for payments to eligible health care 
 providers is reserved for such providers located in rural areas, and 
                          for other purposes.

    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 ``Save Our Rural Health Providers 
Act''.

SEC. 2. RESERVATION OF FUNDING FOR RURAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as 
the ``Secretary'') shall reserve not less than 20 percent of all 
amounts described in subsection (b) for reimbursing, through grants or 
other mechanisms, eligible rural health care providers for health care 
related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to coronavirus.
    (b) Amounts.--The amounts described in this subsection are each of 
the following:
            (1) The unobligated balance of the appropriation of 
        $100,000,000,000 in the third paragraph under the heading 
        ``Department of Health and Human Services--Office of the 
        Secretary--Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund'' 
        in division B of the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136).
            (2) The unobligated balance of the appropriation under the 
        heading ``Department of Health and Human Services--Office of 
        the Secretary--Public Health and Social Services Emergency 
        Fund'' in division B of the Paycheck Protection Program and 
        Health Care Enhancement Act (Public Law 116-139).
            (3) Any unobligated balance of an appropriation under any 
        other provision of law enacted prior to the date of enactment 
        of this section that is made available to the Public Health and 
        Social Services Emergency Fund for the purpose of reimbursing, 
        through grants or other mechanisms, health care providers for 
        health care related expenses or lost revenues attributable to 
        coronavirus.
            (4) Any appropriation under any other provision of law 
        enacted subsequent to the date of enactment of this section 
        that is made available to the Public Health and Social Services 
        Emergency Fund for the purpose described in paragraph (3).
    (c) Priority.--In reimbursing eligible rural health care providers 
under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to such providers 
that--
            (1) provide care for a disproportionately high percentage 
        of individuals enrolled in the Medicare program under title 
        XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) or 
        under a State Medicaid plan under title XIX of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) or under a waiver of such plan;
            (2) provide care for populations with a disproportionately 
        high percentage of--
                    (A) individuals age 60 or older; or
                    (B) individuals who have co-morbidities that make 
                them particularly vulnerable to complications from 
                coronavirus; or
            (3) provide care for populations--
                    (A) in areas with limited access to health 
                infrastructure; or
                    (B) with a high population of uninsured 
                individuals.
    (d) Requirements for Reimbursement.--
            (1) In general.--Reimbursements to eligible rural health 
        care providers under this section shall, subject to subsection 
        (c) and paragraph (2), be otherwise provided in accordance with 
        the applicable provisions of law described in subsection (b).
            (2) Use of funds.--Any reimbursements under this section 
        may be used for any purposes related to preventing, preparing 
        for, or responding to coronavirus, including purchasing 
        equipment necessary for such purposes or upgrading facilities 
        for such purposes.
    (e) Definition of Eligible Rural Health Care Provider.--In this 
section, the term ``eligible rural health care provider'' means--
            (1) any health care provider that--
                    (A) is eligible to receive payments under any of 
                the provisions of law described in subsection (b); and
                    (B) is located in a rural area, as defined by the 
                Secretary; or
            (2) any health care provider that is--
                    (A) a critical access hospital, as defined in 
                section 1861(mm) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
                1395x(mm));
                    (B) a rural health clinic (as defined in section 
                1861(aa)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)(2)));
                    (C) a hospital that--
                            (i) is classified as a rural referral 
                        center under section 1886(d)(5)(C)(i) of such 
                        Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(C)(i)); and
                            (ii) is a sole community hospital (as 
                        defined in section 1886(d)(5)(D)(iii) of such 
                        Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(D)(iii)); or
                    (D) any other health care service provider located 
                in a rural area, as defined by the Secretary.
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