Fairness for Our Hospitals Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-986
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2017-04-27
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Hospital care

Medicare
Latest action: action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-04-27
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Fairness for Our Hospitals Act of 2017</strong></p> <p>This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow a hospital that meets specified criteria and is located in a state with no rural areas to be considered a Medicare-dependent hospital. The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services shall establish and implement a process for reimbursing impacted hospitals for any underpayments resulting from this bill's implementation.</p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 986 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 27, 2017 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Booker , Mr. Carper , and Mr. Coons ) 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 permit hospitals in all-urban States to be considered Medicare dependent hospitals, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fairness for Our Hospitals Act of 2017 . 2. Permitting hospitals in all-urban States to be considered Medicare dependent hospitals (a) In general Section 1886(d)(5)(G)(iv)(I) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(G)(iv)(I) ) is amended to read as follows: (I) that— (aa) is located in a rural area; or (bb) for discharges occurring on or after January 1, 2011, is located in a State with no rural area (as defined in paragraph (2)(D)) and satisfies any of the criteria in subclause (I), (II), (III), or (IV) of paragraph (8)(E)(ii), . (b) Process for recalculating payments Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish and implement a process under which the Secretary shall reimburse hospitals impacted by the amendment made by subsection (a) for any underpayments under title XVIII of the Social Security Act that are a result of the implementation of such amendment.