Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act of 2012

Bill: 112-hr-3859
Sponsor: Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R-WA-5]
Introduced: 2012-02-01 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Home and outpatient care
Hospital care
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Medicare
Nursing
Rural conditions and development
State and local government operations
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2012-02-01
text: 
Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act of 2012 - Expresses the sense of the Senate that residents of rural and frontier communities should have access to affordable, quality health care.
 
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to: (1) the Medicare disproportionate share hospital (DSH) adjustment for rural hospitals, (2) extension of the temporary increase in payments to certain rural hospitals (Medicare hold harmless provision), (3) the Medicare inpatient hospital payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals, (4) Medicare wage index reclassifications for certain hospitals, (5) Medicare reasonable costs payments for certain clinical diagnostic laboratory tests furnished to hospitals in certain rural areas, (6) elimination of the isolation test for the cost-based ambulance reimbursement for critical access hospitals, (7) the Medicare incentive payment program for physician scarcity areas, (8) extension of the 1.00 floor on Medicare work geographic adjustment to payments for physician services, (9) Medicare home health care planning, (10) rural health clinics, (11) a temporary Medicare payment increase for home health services furnished in a rural area, and (12) extension of increased Medicare payments for rural ground ambulance services. 
 
Amends the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 to provide for the extension of the payment for the technical component of certain physician pathology services under Medicare. 
 
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to encourage and facilitate the adoption of provisions allowing for multi state practitioner practice across state lines.
 
Extends Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) coverage and payment, on a reasonable cost basis, to anesthesia services furnished by a physician anesthesiologist in certain rural hospitals in the same manner as payment is made for anesthesia services furnished by a certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) in such hospitals.
 
Establishes the floor at 1.00 on the practice expense geographic index for services furnished during a specified period in certain rural areas outside of frontier states under the Medicare physician fee schedule. 
 
Revises the standard for designation of sole community hospitals.
 
Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend the authorization of appropriations for grants to states for operation of offices of rural health.
 Requires the proportion of members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) who represent the interests of health care providers and Medicare beneficiaries located in rural areas to be no less than the proportion of the total number of Medicare beneficiaries who reside in rural areas.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-02-09
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2012-02-01
text: 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.
action_date: 2012-02-01
text: 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.
action_date: 2012-02-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2012-02-01
text: Introduced in House