Rural Healthcare Access Improvement Act of 2003

Bill: 108-hr-2175
Sponsor: Rep. Sandlin, Max [D-TX-1]
Introduced: 2003-05-20 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Administrative procedure
Ambulances
Ambulatory care
Clinics
Coinsurance
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of Health and Human Services
Drugs
Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Home care services
Hospital care
Hospital personnel
Hospital rates
Hospitals
Housing and Community Development
Labor and Employment
Law
Medical economics
Medical fees
Medical laboratories
Medical personnel
Medical technology
Medical tests
Medically uninsured
Medicare
Nursing homes
Physicians
Rural health
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Transportation and Public Works
Wages
Welfare recipients

Summary:
action_date: 2003-05-20
text: Rural Healthcare Access Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise requirements with regard to rural health care, including: (1) urban and rural standardized payment amounts under the Medicare inpatient hospital prospective payment system (PPS); (2) the disproportionate share hospital (DSH) adjustment for rural hospitals; (3) the payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals; (4) the adjustment to the Medicare inpatient hospital PPS wage index to revise its labor-related share; (5) treatment of certain sole community hospitals to limit the decline in payment under the PPS for hospital outpatient department (ODP) services; and (6) the critical access hospital program.
Provides for a temporary increase for: (1) home health services furnished in a rural area; (2) certain services furnished by small rural hospitals under the Medicare prospective payment system for OPD services; and (3) ground ambulance services furnished in a rural area.
Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for: (1) exclusion of certain rural health clinic and Federally qualified health center services from the Medicare PPS for skilled nursing facilities; and (2) Medicare incentive program changes.
Provides for two-year treatment of certain clinical diagnostic laboratory tests furnished by a sole community hospital.
Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for establishment of a floor on geographic adjustments of payments for physicians' services.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-06-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2003-05-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2003-05-21
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1011)
action_date: 2003-05-20
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
action_date: 2003-05-20
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
action_date: 2003-05-20
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
action_date: 2003-05-20
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-05-20
text: Introduced in House