Detailed Instructions: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Problem:SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Rural Health Care Protection and
Improvement Act of 1995''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVING HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND REDUCING HEALTH CARE COSTS
THROUGH TELEMEDICINE.

(a) In General.--Title XVII of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 300u et seq.) is amended--
(1) in the title heading by striking out ''AND HEALTH
PROMOTION'' and inserting '', HEALTH PROMOTION AND TELEMEDICINE
DEVELOPMENT'';
(2) by inserting after the title heading the following:

''Part A--Health Information and Health Promotion''; and

(3) by adding at the end thereof the following new part:

''Part B--Telemedicine Development

''SEC. 1711. GRANT PROGRAM FOR PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL
TELEMEDICINE NETWORKS.

''(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a program to
award grants to eligible entities in accordance with this subsection to
promote the development of rural telemedicine networks.
''(b) Grants for Development of Rural Telemedicine.--The Secretary
of Health and Human Services, acting through the Office of Rural Health
Policy, shall award grants to eligible entities that have applications
approved under subsection (d) for the purpose of expanding access to
health care services for individuals in rural areas through the use of
telemedicine. Grants shall be awarded under this section to--
''(1) encourage the initial development of rural
telemedicine networks;
''(2) expand existing networks;
''(3) link existing networks together; or
''(4) link such networks to existing fiber optic
telecommunications systems.
''(c) Eligible Entity Defined.--For the purposes of this section
the term 'eligible entity' means hospitals and other health care
providers operating in a health care network of community-based
providers that includes at least three of the following--
''(1) community or migrant health centers;
''(2) local health departments;
''(3) community mental health centers;
''(4) nonprofit hospitals;
''(5) private practice health professionals, including
rural health clinics; or
''(6) other publicly funded health or social services
agencies.
''(d) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section an eligible entity shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner and containing such
information as the Secretary may require, including a description of--
''(1) the need of the entity for the grant;
''(2) the use to which the entity would apply any amounts
received under such grant;
''(3) the source and amount of non-Federal funds that the
entity will pledge for the project funded under the grant; and
''(4) the long-term viability of the project and evidence
of the providers commitment to the network.
''(e) Preference in Awarding Grants.--In awarding grants under this
section, the Secretary shall give preference to applicants that--
''(1) are health care providers operating in rural health
care networks or that propose to form such networks with the
majority of the providers in such networks being located in a
medically undeserved area or health professional shortage area;
''(2) can demonstrate broad geographic coverage in the
rural areas of the State, or States in which the applicant is
located; and
''(3) propose to use funds received under the grant to
develop plans for, or to establish, telemedicine systems that
will link rural hospitals and rural health care providers to
other hospitals and health care providers;
''(4) will use the amounts provided under the grant for a
range of health care applications and to promote greater
efficiency in the use of health care resources;
''(5) demonstrate the long-term viability of projects
through use of local matching funds (in cash or in-kind); and
''(6) demonstrate financial, institutional, and community
support and the long-range viability of the network.
''(f) Use of Amounts.--Amounts received under a grant awarded under
this section shall be utilized for the development of telemedicine
networks. Such amounts may be used to cover the costs associated with
the development of telemedicine networks and the acquisition of
telemedicine equipment and modifications or improvements of
telecommunications facilities, including--
''(1) the development and acquisition through lease or
purchase of computer hardware and software, audio and visual
equipment, computer network equipment, modification or
improvements to telecommunications transmission facilities,
telecommunications terminal equipment, interactive video
equipment, data terminal equipment, and other facilities and
equipment that would further the purposes of this section;
''(2) the provision of technical assistance and instruction
for the development and use of such programming equipment or
facilities;
''(3) the development and acquisition of instructional
programming;
''(4) the development of projects for teaching or training
medical students, residents, and other health professions
students in rural training sites about the application of
telemedicine;
''(5) transmission costs, maintenance of equipment, and
compensation of specialists and referring practitioners;
''(6) the development of projects to use telemedicine to
facilitate collaboration between health care providers; and
''(7) such other uses that are consistent with achieving
the purposes of this section as approved by the Secretary.
''(g) Prohibited Use of Amounts.--Amounts received under a grant
awarded under this section shall not be used for--
''(1) expenditures to purchase or lease equipment to the
extent the expenditures would exceed more than 60 percent of
the total grant funds; or
''(2) expenditures for indirect costs (as determined by the
Secretary) to the extent the expenditures would exceed more
than 10 percent of the total grant funds.
''(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
''(i) Definition.--For the purposes of this section, the term
'rural health care network' means a group of rural hospitals or other
rural health care providers (including clinics, physicians and non-
physicians primary care providers) that have entered into a
relationship with each other or with nonrural hospitals and health care
providers for the purpose of strengthening the delivery of health care
services in rural areas or specifically to improve their patients'
access to telemedicine services. At least 75 percent of hospitals and
other health care providers participating in the network shall be
located in rural areas.
''(j) Regulations on Reimbursement of Telemedicine.--Not later than
July 1, 1996, the Secretary, in consultation with the Office of Rural
Health and the Health Care Financing Administration, shall issue
regulations regarding reimbursement for telemedicine services provided
under title XVIII of the Social Security Act.''.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF RURAL HEALTH OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM.

Title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.)
is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new part:

''Part O--Rural Health Outreach Grants

''SEC. 399O. RURAL HEALTH OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM.

''(a) In General.--The Secretary may make grants to demonstrate the
effectiveness of outreach to populations in rural areas that do not
normally seek or do not have access to health or mental health
services. Grants shall be awarded to enhance linkages, integration, and
cooperation in order to provide health or mental health services, to
enhance services, or increase access to or utilization of health or
mental health services.
''(b) Mission of the Outreach Projects.--Projects funded under
subsection (a) should be designed to facilitate the integration and
coordination of services in or among rural communities in order to
address the needs of populations living in rural or frontier
communities.
''(c) Composition of Program.--
''(1) Consortium arrangement.--To be eligible to
participate in the grant program established under subsection
(a), an applicant entity shall be a consortium of three or more
separate and distinct entities formed to carry out an outreach
project under subsection (b).
''(2) Certain requirements.--A consortium under paragraph
(1) shall be composed of three or more public or private
nonprofit health care or social service providers. Consortium
members may include local health departments, community or
migrant health centers, community mental health centers,
hospitals or private practices, or other publicly funded health
or social service agencies.
''(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000
for fiscal year 1996, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the
fiscal years 1997 through 2000.''.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN PAYMENT PROVISIONS FOR MEDICARE DEPENDENT
SMALL RURAL HOSPITALS.

(a) In General.--Section 1886(d)(5)(G)(i) of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(G)(i)) is amended by striking ''October 1,
1994'' and inserting ''October 1, 1999''.
(b) Payment.--Section 1886(b)(3)(D) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
1395ww(b)(3)(D)) is amended by striking ''September 30, 1994'' and
inserting ''September 30, 1999''.
(C) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take
effect as if enacted on October 1, 1994.
Solution:
Rural Health Care Protection and Improvement Act of 1995 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to expand access to health care services for individuals in rural areas through the use of telemedicine. Authorizes appropriations.
Directs the Secretary to issue regulations regarding reimbursement for telemedicine services provided under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary to make grants to demonstrate the effectiveness of outreach to populations in rural areas that do not normally seek or have adequate access to health or mental health services. Authorizes appropriations.
Amends Medicare provisions to extend special payments under part A (Hospital Insurance) for the operating costs of inpatient services of small, rural Medicare-dependent hospitals.