PATCH Act

Bill: 119-s-1624
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI]
Introduced: 2025-05-06
Policy area: Health
Latest action: action_date: 2025-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1624 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 6, 2025 Mr. Schatz (for himself and Ms. Hirono ) 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 the work geographic index for physicians' services furnished in Hawaii.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protecting Access To Care in Hawaii Act or the PATCH Act . 2. Floor on work geographic index for physicians' services furnished in Hawaii Section 1848(e) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395w–4(e) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1)(A), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking and (I) and inserting (I), and (J) ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (J) Floor on work geographic index for services furnished in Hawaii For purposes of payment for services furnished in Hawaii on or after January 1, 2026, after calculating the work geographic index in subparagraph (A)(iii), the Secretary shall increase the work geographic index to 1.5 if such index would otherwise be less than 1.5. The preceding sentence shall not be applied in a budget neutral manner. .