SOLES Act

Bill: 119-s-553
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]
Introduced: 2025-02-12
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Alaska

Hawaii

Health care costs and insurance

Home and outpatient care

Medicare
Latest action: action_date: 2025-02-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-02-12
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Save our Lone Emergency Services Act or the SOLES Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires Medicare payments to sole community hospitals in Alaska or Hawaii to cover at least 94% of the reasonable costs of covered outpatient services.</p>

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 553 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 12, 2025 Mr. Sullivan (for himself, Mr. Schatz , and Ms. Murkowski ) 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 establish a floor on payments to sole community hospitals located in Alaska and Hawaii under the hospital outpatient prospective payment system.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Save our Lone Emergency Services Act or the SOLES Act . 2. Treatment of sole community hospitals located in Alaska and Hawaii under hospital outpatient prospective payment system 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) Treatment of sole community hospitals located in Alaska and Hawaii (A) In general If the Secretary determines that the amount of payment under this subsection for covered OPD services furnished by a sole community hospital (as defined in section 1886(d)(5)(D)(iii)) that is located in Alaska or Hawaii is less than 94 percent of the reasonable costs (as defined in section 1861(v)) of the hospital providing such services, the amount of payment under this subsection shall be increased by the amount of such difference. (B) No effect on copayments Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to affect the copayment amount under paragraph (8). (C) Application without regard to budget neutrality The additional payments made under this paragraph— (i) shall not be considered an adjustment under paragraph (2)(E); and (ii) shall not be implemented in a budget neutral manner. (D) Rulemaking Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to carry out this paragraph, which shall be effective with respect to covered OPD services furnished on or after the first January 1 after such date. .