Rural Hospital Access Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-332
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2015-02-02
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Hospital care

Medicare

Rural conditions and development
Latest action: action_date: 2015-02-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-02-02
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Rural Hospital Access Act of 2015</b></p> <p>This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to make permanent the Medicare-dependent, small rural subsection (d) hospital program and increased payments under the Medicare low-volume hospital program.</p> <p> (Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system [IPPS] when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 332 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 2, 2015 Mr. Grassley (for himself and Mr. Schumer ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make permanent the extension of the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program and the increased payments under the Medicare low-volume hospital program.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rural Hospital Access Act of 2015 . 2. Extension of the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program (a) Extension of payment methodology Section 1886(d)(5)(G) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(G) ) is amended— (1) in clause (i), by striking , and before April 1, 2015 ; and (2) in clause (ii)(II), by striking , and before April 1, 2015 . (b) Conforming amendments (1) Extension of target amount Section 1886(b)(3)(D) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395ww(b)(3)(D) ) is amended— (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking , and before April 1, 2015 ; and (B) in clause (iv), by striking through fiscal year 2014 and the portion of fiscal year 2015 before April 1, 2015 and inserting or a subsequent fiscal year . (2) Permitting hospitals to decline reclassification Section 13501(e)(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 ( 42 U.S.C. 1395ww note) is amended by striking fiscal year 2000 through the first 2 quarters of fiscal year 2015 and inserting a subsequent fiscal year . 3. Extension of the increased payments under the Medicare Low-Volume Hospital Program Section 1886(d)(12) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(12) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking and for discharges occurring in fiscal year 2015 (beginning on April 1, 2015), fiscal year 2016, and subsequent fiscal years ; (2) in subparagraph (C)(i)— (A) by striking fiscal years 2011 through 2014 and fiscal year 2015 (before April 1, 2015) each place it appears and inserting fiscal year 2011 and each subsequent year ; and (B) by striking or portion of fiscal year after during the fiscal year ; and (3) in subparagraph (D)— (A) by striking fiscal years 2011 through 2014 and fiscal year 2015 (before April 1, 2015), and inserting fiscal year 2011 and each subsequent fiscal year ; and (B) by striking or the portion of fiscal year after fiscal year .