Ensuring Outpatient Quality for Rural States Act

Bill: 119-hr-4269
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]
Introduced: 2025-06-30
Policy area: Health
Latest action: action_date: 2025-06-30
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-06-30
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Ensuring Outpatient Quality for Rural States Act</strong></p><p>This bill allows Medicare payments for covered hospital outpatient services in Alaska or Hawaii to include certain cost-of-living adjustments.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4269 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 30, 2025 Ms. Tokuda (for herself and Mr. Begich ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce , and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means , 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 A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the application of a cost-of-living adjustment to the non-labor related portion for hospital outpatient department services furnished in Alaska and Hawaii.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ensuring Outpatient Quality for Rural States Act . 2. Application of cost-of-living adjustment to non-labor related portion for hospital outpatient department services furnished in Alaska and Hawaii Section 1833(t) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395l(t) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (23) Application of cost-of-living adjustment to non-labor related portion for hospital outpatient department services furnished in Alaska and Hawaii With respect to covered OPD services furnished on or after January 1, 2026, the Secretary may provide for adjustments to the payment amounts under this subsection for such services in the same manner that is provided under section 1886(d)(5)(H) with respect to the application of the cost-of-living adjustment to the non-labor related portion of such payment amounts to take into account the unique circumstances of hospitals located in Alaska or Hawaii. The preceding sentence shall not be applied in a budget neutral manner. .