Rural Health Clinic Protection Act

Bill: 117-s-935
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2021-03-23
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Health facilities and institutions

Hospital care

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Medicare

Rural conditions and development
Latest action: action_date: 2021-03-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-03-23
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Rural Health Clinic Protection Act</b></p> <p>This bill applies certain modified payment limits to rural health clinics that temporarily enrolled in Medicare during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 or that applied to enroll by December 31, 2020.</p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 935 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 23, 2021 Mr. Grassley (for himself, Ms. Smith , Mr. Barrasso , Ms. Ernst , and Mrs. Capito ) 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 technical corrections to rural health clinic payments.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rural Health Clinic Protection Act . 2. Rural health clinic payments (a) In general Section 1833(f)(3) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395l(f)(3) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A)— (A) in clause (i), by striking subclauses (I) and (II) and inserting the following: (I) with respect to a rural health clinic that had a per visit payment amount established for services furnished in 2020— (aa) the per visit payment amount applicable to such rural health clinic for rural health clinic services furnished in 2020, increased by the percentage increase in the MEI applicable to primary care services furnished as of the first day of 2021; or (bb) the limit described in paragraph (2)(A); and (II) with respect to a rural health clinic that did not have a per visit payment amount established for services furnished in 2020— (aa) the per visit payment amount applicable to such rural health clinic for rural health clinic services furnished in 2021; or (bb) the limit described in paragraph (2)(A); and ; and (B) in clause (ii)(I), by striking under clause (i)(I) and inserting under subclause (I) or (II) of clause (i), as applicable, ; and (2) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following: (B) A rural health clinic described in this subparagraph is a rural health clinic that— (i) as of December 31, 2020, was in a hospital with less than 50 beds and after such date such hospital continues to have less than 50 beds (not taking into account any increase in the number of beds pursuant to a waiver under subsection (b)(1)(A) of section 1135 during the emergency period described in subsection (g)(1)(B) of such section); and (ii) (I) as of December 31, 2020, was enrolled under section 1866(j) (including temporary enrollment during such emergency period for such emergency period); or (II) submitted an application for enrollment under section 1866(j) (or a request for such a temporary enrollment for such emergency period) that was received not later than December 31, 2020. . (b) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 ( Public Law 116–260 ).