Save Rural Hospitals Act

Bill: 115-hr-2957
Sponsor: Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6]
Introduced: 2017-06-20 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Debt collection
Department of Health and Human Services
Health care coverage and access
Health personnel
Home and outpatient care
Hospital care
Medicare
Public contracts and procurement
Rural conditions and development

Summary:
action_date: 2017-06-20
text: 

Save Rural Hospitals Act

 
This bill amends titles XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to increase payments to, and modify various requirements regarding, rural health care providers under the Medicare program. Among other provisions, the bill: (1) reverses cuts to reimbursement of bad debt for critical access hospitals (CAHs) and rural hospitals, as well as alters certain requirements with regard to CAHs; (2) extends payment levels for low-volume hospitals and Medicare-dependent hospitals (MDHs); (3) reinstates revised diagnosis-related group payments to MDHs and sole community hospitals (SCHs), as well as reinstates hold harmless treatment for hospital outpatient services for SCHs; (4) delays the application of penalties for a rural hospital's failure to become a meaningful electronic health record user; (5) makes permanent increased Medicare payments for ground ambulance services in rural areas; (6) alters certain supervision requirements for therapeutic hospital outpatient services; (7) modifies requirements related to the use and payment of recovery audit contractors; and (8) establishes a program under which rural hospitals meeting specified requirements may be eligible for enhanced payment for qualified outpatient services.
 
In addition, the bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to eliminate Medicare sequestration for rural hospitals.
 
The bill also amends title XIX (Medicaid) of SSAct to extend Medicaid primary care payments.
 
With respect to both the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the bill eliminates disproportionate share hospital payment reductions for rural hospitals.
 The bill also amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize several competitive grant programs to assist eligible rural hospitals.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2017-06-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2017-06-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection.
action_date: 2017-06-20
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, 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: 2017-06-20
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, 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: 2017-06-20
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, 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: 2017-06-20
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2017-06-20
text: Introduced in House