Puerto Rico Hospital HITECH Amendments Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1602
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2015-06-17
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Caribbean area

Computers and information technology

Health facilities and institutions

Health information and medical records

Health technology, devices, supplies

Medicare

Puerto Rico

U.S. territories and protectorates
Latest action: action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-06-17
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Puerto Rico Hospital HITECH Amendments Act of 2015 </b></p> <p>Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to apply Medicare HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act) payments to subsection (d) hospitals in Puerto Rico to allow them to qualify for incentives for adoption and meaningful use of certified electronic health record Technology.</p> <p>(Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)</p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1602 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 17, 2015 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Rubio , Mr. Schumer , and Mr. Nelson ) 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 allow certain hospitals in Puerto Rico to qualify for incentives for adoption and meaningful use of certified EHR Technology under the Medicare program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Puerto Rico Hospital HITECH Amendments Act of 2015 . 2. Application of Medicare HITECH payments to hospitals in Puerto Rico (a) In general Subsection (n)(6)(B) of section 1886 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395ww ) is amended by striking subsection (d) hospital and inserting hospital that is a subsection (d) hospital or a subsection (d) Puerto Rico hospital . (b) Conforming amendments (1) Subsection (b)(3)(B)(ix) of section 1886 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395ww ) is amended— (A) in subclause (I), by striking (n)(6)(A) and inserting (n)(6)(B) ; and (B) in subclause (II), by striking a subsection (d) hospital and inserting an eligible hospital . (2) Paragraphs (2) and (4)(A) of section 1853(m) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395w–23(m) ) are each amended by striking 1886(n)(6)(A) and inserting 1886(n)(6)(B) . (c) Implementation Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services may implement the amendments made by this section by program instruction or otherwise. (d) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply as if included in the enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ( Public Law 111–5 ), except that, in order to take into account delays in the implementation of this section, in applying subsections (b)(3)(B)(ix), (n)(2)(E)(ii), and (n)(2)(G)(i) of section 1886 of the Social Security Act, as amended by this section, any reference in such subsections to a particular year shall be treated with respect to a subsection (d) Puerto Rico hospital as a reference to the year that is 5 years after such particular year (or 7 years after such particular year in the case of applying subsection (b)(3)(B)(ix) of such section).