Title: Protecting HOME Act of 2019
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Protecting Home Oxygen and Medical Equipment Act of 2019 or the Protecting HOME Act of 2019
This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to apply specified payment adjustments for durable medical equipment under Medicare. The bill also excludes the creation of separate payment classes and monthly payment rates for oxygen items under Medicare from certain budget neutrality requirements.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2771 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2771

    To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to revise 
regulations with respect to payment rates for durable medical equipment 
          under the Medicare program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 15, 2019

 Mrs. Rodgers of Washington (for herself and Mr. Loebsack) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
  Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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 direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to revise 
regulations with respect to payment rates for durable medical equipment 
          under the Medicare program, 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 ``Protecting Home Oxygen and Medical 
Equipment Act of 2019'' or the ``Protecting HOME Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. REVISING PAYMENT RATES FOR DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT UNDER THE 
              MEDICARE PROGRAM.

    (a) Rural and Noncontiguous Areas.--Not later than December 31, 
2020, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall revise section 
414.210(g)(9)(iii) of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations (or any 
successor regulation), to apply the transition rule described in such 
section to all applicable items and services furnished in rural areas 
and noncontiguous areas (as such terms are defined for purposes of such 
section) on or after June 1, 2018.
    (b) Areas Other Than Rural and Noncontiguous Areas.--With respect 
to items and services furnished on or after the date that is 30 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services shall apply section 414.210(g)(9)(iv) of title 42, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), as if the 
reference to ``100 percent of the adjusted payment amount established 
under this section'' were instead a reference to ``75 percent of the 
adjusted payment amount established under this section and 25 percent 
of the unadjusted fee schedule amount''.

SEC. 3. BUDGET NEUTRALITY FOR OXYGEN UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.

    Section 1834(a)(9)(D)(ii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395m(a)(9)(D)(ii)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
sentence: ``The requirement of the preceding sentence shall not apply 
beginning on January 1, 2020.''.
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