zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Puerto Rico Hospitals Medicare DSH Equity Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prescribe a formula for the calculation of Medicare disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments for prospective payment system hospitals in Puerto Rico.

Date: 2009-03-12
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require the full-time director of food services at a Medicare skilled nursing facility (SNF) or a Medicaid nursing facility, if not a qualified dietitian, to be a Certified Dietary Manager meeting the requirements of the Certifying Board for Dietary Managers or have equivalent military or academic qualifications.

Date: 2009-03-19
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Border Health Care Relief Act of 2009 - Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to extend through FY2012 federal reimbursement of emergency health services furnished to undocumented aliens.

Date: 2009-03-19
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Nursing Facility Fire Safety Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to establish programs of direct loans and grants for retrofitting nursing facilities with automatic fire sprinkler systems. Gives priority to grant applications that demonstrate a need or hardship. Requires the Secretary to consult with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to determine if there are loan programs or other funds available for such retrofitting. Authorizes the Secretary to evaluate where a nursing facility may not have an adequate structure to retrofit the entire facility within a reasonable timeframe and work with the facility to identify other remedial actions.

Date: 2009-03-19
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Mitigating the Impact of Uncompensated Service and Time Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain physicians a bad debt tax deduction for their costs in providing uncompensated care as required under the Social Security Act to emergency room patients and pregnant women in labor.

Date: 2009-03-24
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Taxation
Long-Term Care Life Safety Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program to award grants to nursing homes, hospice facilities, assisted living facilities, residential care program facilities, board and care facilities and other appropriate facilities for the purpose of retrofitting such facilities with a professionally installed fire alarm detection system or other fire detection and prevention technology. Requires the Secretary to give priority to applicants that demonstrate a need or hardship. Allows the Secretary to consider such factors as the age and condition of the facilities, the need for facility beds in the community involved, and requirements imposed on the applicant to meet fire safety regulations under Medicare, Medicaid, other federal programs, or state or local licensing or building code standards.

Date: 2009-03-24
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Quality FIRST (From Incentives, Reporting, Standards, and Technology) Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make performance-based payments each fiscal year to hospitals that provide high quality inpatient hospital services to inpatients entitled to benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance). Requires the Secretary to select appropriate evidence-based, statistically valid, and sufficiently field tested quality measures of care furnished by hospitals in inpatient settings for evaluating hospital performance. Requires a utilization and quality control peer review organization to give priority of quality improvement assistance to low-performing hospitals. Directs the Secretary to establish a program under which a hospital seeking to improve the quality of inpatient hospital services based on the results of a performance evaluation may apply to the Secretary to receive quality improvement assistance from a private quality organization with expertise in supporting inpatient service quality improvement.

Date: 2009-03-30
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Patient Advocate Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a demonstration program under which the Secretary may make grants for the development and operation of programs to provide services for patients to resolve health insurance, job retention, and debt crisis matters related to the patients' diagnosis and illness. Includes as services to be provided by grant recipients: (1) acting as contacts for individuals who are seeking prevention or early detection services or treatment for an adverse health condition; (2) facilitating the involvement of community organizations in assisting individuals to receive better access to high-quality health care services; (3) notifying individuals of clinical trials and facilitating enrollment of individuals in trials; (4) anticipating, identifying, and helping individuals to overcome barriers within the health care system to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment; (5) coordinating with the relevant health insurance ombudsman programs to provide information to individuals about health coverage; and (6) conducting ongoing outreach to health disparity populations in addition to assisting other individuals to seek preventive care. Directs the Secretary to: (1) require grantees to prohibit any patient health advocate providing services under the grant from accepting any referral fee, kickback, or other thing of value in return for referring an individual to a particular health care provider; and (2) prohibit the use of any grant funds to pay any fees or costs resulting from any proceeding to resolve a legal dispute.Sets forth provisions prohibiting discrimination in any program or activities funded or otherwise financially assisted under this Act.

Date: 2009-04-02
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Ambulatory Surgical Center Access Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the requirements and the formula for payments for services, including an implantable medical device, furnished to individuals in ambulatory surgical centers. Revises requirements for the reporting of data by ambulatory surgical centers and hospital outpatient departments. Directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) to study and report to Congress on outpatient surgical services. Requires the expert outside advisory panel the Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to consult with respect to the clinical integrity of the groups and payment weights to include at least one ambulatory surgical center representative. States that the conditions for coverage of ambulatory surgical center services specified by the Secretary shall not prohibit ambulatory surgical centers from providing individuals with any notice of rights or other required notice on the date of a procedure if more advanced notice is not feasible under the circumstances, including when a procedure is scheduled and performed on the same day.

Date: 2009-04-22
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Physician Availability Act of 2009 - Requires each covered hospital to have a qualified physician available in the hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to attend to the needs of the hospital's inpatients. Defines a "covered hospital" to: (1) include hospitals participating in Medicare or Medicaid or receiving federal funds; and (2) exclude hospitals in a federal facility or hospitals that the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines have fewer than 100 licensed beds. Considers a physician to be available if: (1) the physician is physically present in the hospital; (2) the physician's primary responsibility is to be in attendance to serve the needs of the hospital's inpatients without delay; and (3) the physician is not physically present in, assigned to, serving in, or expected to cover the hospital's emergency room or emergency department. Sets forth penalties for violations.

Date: 2009-05-13
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Hospital Price Transparency and Disclosure Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require a hospital or ambulatory surgical center to: (1) report data to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the frequency of performing certain services and administering certain drugs and the charge by the hospital or center for such services or drugs; and (2) prominently post such information at each admission site. Requires the Secretary to: (1) publicly post such information in a manner that promotes charge comparisons among hospitals and centers; and (2) select which services or drugs are to be reported based on how frequently each service is performed or each drug is administered. Allows the Secretary to impose a civil monetary penalty for violations of this Act.

Date: 2009-05-21
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Urban Medicare-Dependent Hospitals Preservation Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, with respect to cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2009, to revise the criteria and payment formula for "subsection (d) hospitals" which are urban Medicare-dependent hospitals. (Generally a subsection (d) hospital is an acute care hospital particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)

Date: 2009-05-21
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to additional payments to subsection (d) hospitals for indirect costs of medical education (IME). Declares that, if a subsection (d) hospital (new hospital) begins operations on or after January 1, 2010, within 35 road miles of an existing sole community hospital, the existing hospital shall continue to be treated for payment purposes as a sole community hospital if: (1) the new hospital is privately owned or operated as a for-profit entity; and (2) a portion of the new hospital's ownership is attributable to physicians. (Generally, a subsection (d) hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)

Date: 2009-05-21
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Waives the 35-mile requirement for designation of a critical access hospital (CAH) under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to permit recognition as a CAH of Gadsden Community Hospital in Quincy, Florida.

Date: 2009-05-21
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Private legislation
Nurse-Managed Health Clinic Investment Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants for operating nurse-managed health clinics. Defines "nurse-managed health clinic" as a nurse-practice arrangement that provides primary care or wellness services to underserved or vulnerable populations regardless of insurance status or ability to pay and that is associated with an educational institution, health center, or social services agency. Requires the Secretary to provide technical assistance and services to such clinics in meeting the requirements of this Act and to develop and implement a plan for evaluating such clinics.

Date: 2009-06-08
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide, without expiration, hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for certain Vietnam-era veterans exposed to herbicides, veterans of the Persian Gulf War, and veterans who served on active combat duty during a period of war after the Persian Gulf War, or in combat against a hostile force.

Date: 2009-06-17
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Healthy Hospitals Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require a hospital or ambulatory surgical center (hospital), in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting protocols of the National Healthcare Safety Network, to report to the Network data on each health care-associated infection occurring in the hospital and patient demographic information that may affect such data. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promptly post data reported on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) public Internet site in a manner that promotes the comparison of data on each health care-associated infection: (1) among hospitals; and (2) by patient demographic information. Directs the Secretary, for each year for which such data is reported, to submit to Congress a report that summarizes: (1) the number and types of health care-associated infections reported in hospitals; (2) factors that contribute to the occurrence of such infections; (3) the number of certified infection control professionals on staff; (4) the total increases or decreases in health care costs that resulted from changes in infection rates; and (5) recommendations for best practices to eliminate such infections. Authorizes the Secretary to impose a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each knowing violation of the reporting requirement by a hospital. Expresses the sense of Congress that health care providers and facilities should take measures to reduce the rate of occurrence of health care-associated infections to zero.

Date: 2009-06-26
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Health Information Technology (IT) Public Utility Act of 2009 - Establishes within the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a Federal Consolidated Health Information Technology Board to facilitate the implementation of electronic health record systems among safety-net health care providers, particularly small, rural providers. Sets forth the duties of the Board, which include: (1) ensuring that there is a constant interoperability between VistA (the software program utilized by the Department of Veterans Affair [VA]) and the RPMS (the Resource and Patient Management System of the Indian Health Service); (2) updating VistA and RPMS open source software on a timely basis; (3) establishing a child-specific electronic health record; and (4) developing and integrating quality and performance measurements. Directs the Board to establish the 21st Century Health Information Technology (HIT) Grant Program to award competitive grants to eligible safety-net health care providers to enable such providers to fully implement VistA or RPMS with respect to the patients served by such providers. Directs the Board to give preference to applicants that: (1) are located in geographical areas that have a greater likelihood of serving the same patients and utilizing interoperability to promote coordinated care management; or (2) demonstrate the greatest need for such award. Authorizes the Board to award competitive grants to eligible long-term care providers for demonstration projects to implement VistA or RPMS with respect to the individuals served by such providers.

Date: 2009-07-08
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Rural Access to Nurse Anesthesia Services Act of 2009 - Amends the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986, as amended by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989, to treat a critical access hospital as rural, notwithstanding the reclassification of its location county as an urban county ("Lugar county") under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, in order to permit pass-through payment for the reasonable costs of certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) services. Counts on-call and standby costs for such services as reasonable CRNA costs.

Date: 2009-07-09
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Extension Act of 2009 - Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to extend for an additional five years the rural community hospital demonstration program.

Date: 2009-07-17
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to permit the designation of a certain critical access hospital in Cass County, Minnesota, by exempting it from the requirement that it be certified by the state on or after January 1, 2006, as being a necessary provider of health care services to residents in the area. (Thus restores to Minnesota state authority to waive the application of the 35-mile rule.)

Date: 2009-07-21
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Enhanced Birth Certificate Research Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the National Center for Health Statistics, to use such funds as may be necessary to collect statistics from enhanced birth certificates, with priority given to collecting statistics on infant mortality.

Date: 2009-07-24
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Medicare VA Reimbursement Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in cooperation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), to establish a Medicare VA reimbursement program under which the HHS Secretary shall reimburse the VA Secretary, from the Medicare trust funds, for any item or service: (1) furnished to a Medicare-eligible veteran by a VA medical facility for the treatment of a non-service-connected condition; and (2) covered by Medicare or determined to be medically necessary by the VA Secretary. Requires the HHS Secretary to enter a memorandum of understanding with the VA Secretary concerning administration of the program. Specifies required conditions in the memorandum. Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the program every three years. Declares the sense of Congress that the amount of funds appropriated to the VA for medical care in any fiscal year should not be reduced as a result of the implementation of the Medicare VA reimbursement program.

Date: 2009-07-28
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to permit the continuation of the critical access hospital (CAH) designation for certain hospitals under the Medicare rural hospital flexibility program that were originally designated as CAHs but whose rural areas were subsequently redesignated urban areas.

Date: 2009-07-29
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Medicare Support for Rural Hospitals Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to the additional inpatient hospital service payment (payment adjustment) for low-volume hospitals (usually meaning a "subsection (d) hospital" located more than 25 road miles from another subsection (d) hospital and having less than 800 discharges during the fiscal year.) (Generally, a subsection (d) hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.) Redefines low-volume hospital, for discharges occurring during FY2010 only, as a subsection (d) hospital located more than 15 (instead of 25) road miles from another subsection (d) hospital and having less than 1,500 (instead of 800) discharges of individuals entitled to, or enrolled for, Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) benefits ("tweeners,'' or hospitals too large to be critical access hospitals, but too small to be financially viable under the Medicare hospital prospective payment system [PPS]). Revises, for FY2010 only, the temporary applicable percentage in the formula for determining the payment adjustment for such hospitals. Requires the use of the non-wage adjusted PPS rate during FY2010 under the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program. Amends the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 to repeal the state option to verify a declaration of U.S. citizenship or nationality for purposes of Medicaid (SSA title XIX) or CHIP (Children's Health Insurance) (SSA title XXI) eligibility through verification of a name and Social Security number with the Commissioner of Social Security, as an alternative to the current documentation requirement.

Date: 2009-07-30
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Waives the 35-mile requirement for designation of a critical access hospital (CAH) under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to permit recognition as a CAH of Tyler Memorial Hospital in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania.

Date: 2009-09-23
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Private legislation
Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a major medical facility lease for a Specialty Care Clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, in an amount up to $5,172,000.

Date: 2009-10-01
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Enhanced Rural Health Care Extension Act of 2009 - Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to extend from five to 10 years the Medicare rural community hospital demonstration program. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct the program in rural areas in the 15 states with the lowest population densities. Expands the number of hospitals selected from 15 to 30.

Date: 2009-10-14
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Veterans' Health and Radiation Safety Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to to report annually to Congress on the low-volume (treating 100 patients or fewer) programs at each medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Directs the Secretary to ensure that all employees at a VA hospital where radioactive isotopes are used in the administration of medical services receive appropriate training on what constitutes a medical event and when and to whom a medical event should be reported. Prohibits such isotopes from being used at a VA hospital where such training is not provided. Requires the Secretary to carry out specified evaluations and peer reviews of all medical services provided under contract with a non-government entity.

Date: 2009-11-07
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Compassionate Care for Servicewomen Act - Requires emergency contraception in drug form to be included on the basic core formulary of the uniform formulary of pharmaceutical agents for the pharmacy benefits program of the Department of Defense. Allows emergency contraception in other-than-drug form to also be so included. States that prior authorization shall not be required for such contraception.

Date: 2009-12-16
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Janey Ensminger Act - Makes any veteran who was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, during a period in which the water there was contaminated by volatile organic compounds, including known and probable human carcinogens, eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for any illness, notwithstanding insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the illness is attributable to such contamination.

Date: 2010-02-02
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to make subsection (d) hospitals located in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands eligible for electronic health record (EHR) incentive payments in the same manner as subsection (d) hospitals located in the 50 states. (Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)

Date: 2010-02-23
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Nursing Home Patient and Medicaid Assistance Act of 2010 - Makes appropriations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), who, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services, shall pay an amount directly to an eligible dually-certified facility to reimburse it for furnishing quality care to Medicaid-eligible individuals. Defines "dually-certified facility" as one meeting several requirements, including participation as a nursing facility under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) and as a skilled nursing facility under SSA title XVIII (Medicare) during the entire year. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to prohibit a state Medicaid plan from being considered to meet the requirement for methods and procedures relating to the utilization of care and services unless, by April 1 before the beginning of any plan year (beginning with 2011), the state submits to the Secretary a plan amendment specifying the payment rates for such services, including data on how rates for payments to Medicaid managed care organizations take such payment rates into account. Requires the Secretary to review each such plan amendment and approve or disapprove it. Requires a state participating in the Medicaid program to submit to the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: (1) information on the determination of payment rates for service providers; and (2) an explanation of the process used to allow providers, beneficiaries and their representatives, and other concerned state residents a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on such rates, methodologies, and justifications before the state made such rates final.

Date: 2010-05-28
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Hospital Reclassification Correction Act of 2010 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the Medicare Geographic Classification Review Board, in rendering decisions on applications for a change in geographic classification, from rejecting the application of a hospital which is the only subsection (d) hospital in its Metropolitan Statistical Area on the basis of any comparison between the hospital's average hourly wage and the average hourly wage of hospitals in the area in which it is located. (Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital particularly one that receives payment under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system [IPPS] when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)

Date: 2010-05-28
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Community Mental Health and Addiction Safety Net Equity Act of 2010 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to replace community mental health centers with federally qualified behavioral health centers which treat substance abuse in addition to mental illness and other conditions. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to extend Medicaid coverage to federally qualified behavioral health center services. Directs the Institute of Medicine to: (1) evaluate for Congress the combined paperwork burden of federally qualified behavioral health centers; and (2) analyze and report to Congress on the compensation structure of professional and paraprofessional personnel employed by federally qualified behavioral health centers nationwide as compared with the compensation structure of comparable health safety net providers and relevant private sector health care employers.

Date: 2010-06-29
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2010 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, with respect to post-hospital extended care services, to provide that: (1) an individual who is in a period of observation status in a hospital exceeding 24 hours shall be deemed to have been an inpatient during such period of observation status (for purposes of counting toward the three-day inpatient hospital requirement for Medicare coverage of skilled nursing facility [SNF] services); and (2) the individual's leaving the hospital after such period of status shall be treated as a discharge from the hospital.

Date: 2010-07-29
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Enhancing Quality through Survey System Improvements Act of 2010 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to revise requirements for the review by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) of state procedures for scheduling and conducing standard skilled nursing facility (SNF) surveys. Authorizes the Secretary to review the SNF survey procedures of contractors other than a state. Makes each top tier SNF and nursing facility subject to a complete on-site standard survey at specified three-year intervals. Requires each state to implement programs to measure and reduce inconsistency in the application of survey results (including the results of both health surveys and life safety surveys) among surveyors. Lists the circumstances for special compliance surveys. Requires any funds collected by a state as an administrative civil monetary penalty to be used for the development of acuity adjusters that will provide more accurate information to the public, SNFs, nursing facilities, and their residents about the quality of care provided by each such facility.

Date: 2010-07-30
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Nursing Home Patient Protection and Standards Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require testing programs in skilled nursing facility (SNF) survey and certification techniques to be sufficiently rigorous to ensure that surveyors are adequately prepared to survey and certify SNFs in a consistent and accurate manner. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish requirements: (1) for the qualification and compensation of members of a survey team; and (2) that a state employs an adequate number of individuals as members of survey teams to ensure adequate oversight of SNFs. Requires the Secretary, in addition to the training and testing program, to require that state and federal surveyors regularly complete an adequate number of continuing education courses meeting certain requirements for content and rigor of material. Requires covered individuals to report to the Secretary instances where surveys fail to report or under report an issue in a facility that could impact the safety or quality of care of its residents. Adds whistleblower protections for such individuals. Adds penalties for inappropriately influencing a surveyor. Requires the Secretary to establish an advisory committee on surveys. Requires survey team supervisors to review each conducted survey to ensure that any identified issues affecting quality of care are consistently and appropriately described and rated.

Date: 2010-09-29
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Rural Hospital Protection Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in determining reasonable costs for reimbursements to critical access hospitals (CAHs) after January 1, 2004, to include certain health care related taxes as allowable costs. Prohibits any offset, in computing such costs, against tax assessments paid by such a hospital of amounts the hospital receives from a state, if the Secretary has not determined that a hold harmless provision, meeting specified criteria, is in effect with respect to the health care related tax.

Date: 2010-09-29
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to state that, except with respect to high-risk or complex medical services requiring direct levels of supervision, if the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) requires supervision by a physician or non-physician practitioner for Medicare payment for therapeutic hospital outpatient services, that requirement is met if such services are furnished under the physician's or non-physician practitioner's general supervision. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish a process for designating therapeutic hospital outpatient services for which direct supervision may be required. Declares without force or effect in law regarding Medicare requirements for direct supervision by physicians for therapeutic hospital outpatient services a specified restatement and clarification under the final rule making changes to the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system and calendar year 2009 payment rates, which was published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2008.

Date: 2010-09-29
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Health Information Technology Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program to award grants to eligible health care entities to offset costs related to clinical health care informatics systems and services designed to improve quality in health care and patient safety, including costs for the purchase, lease, or installation of computer software and hardware. Requires the Secretary to conduct studies to: (1) evaluate the use of clinical health care informatics systems and services to measure and report quality data; and (2) assess the impact of such systems and services on improving patient care, reducing costs, and increasing efficiencies. Directs the Secretary to establish a methodology for making adjustments in Medicare payment amounts for providers of services and suppliers who use health information technology and technology services with patient-specific applications that improve the quality and accuracy of clinical decision-making, compliance, health care delivery, and efficiency. Requires the Secretary to provide for the development and adoption of national data and communication health information technology standards that promote the efficient exchange of data between varieties of provider health information technology systems. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an eligible entity to elect to expense qualified health care informatics system expenditures.

Date: 2009-01-08
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Critical Access Hospital Flexibility Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to state Medicare rural hospital flexibility programs, in particular the criteria for designation of critical access hospitals. Revises requirements for the counting of beds for purposes of determining whether a hospital may be designated as a critical access hospital. Allows a facility to provide a maximum of 20 (currently 25) acute care inpatient beds, as determined on an annual, average basis. Declares that only occupied beds shall be counted. Exempts from the critical access hospital inpatient bed limitation beds provided to certain veterans.

Date: 2009-01-22
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
National Health Information Technology and Privacy Advancement Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) provide federal governmental assistance to the planning and development of, and provide for the implementation of, a national program for the establishment and operation of a national health information technology and privacy system; (2) ensure that timely arrangements are made under which there can be national participation in the establishment and use of the system; and (3) provide for incentives for the adoption and use of health information technology that improves the quality and efficiency of patient care.Establishes the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.Authorizes the establishment of a nonprofit national health information technology and privacy corporation to: (1) plan, initiate, construct, own, manage, and operate a national health information technology and privacy system; (2) furnish access to individuals and to authorized providers and payers of health care services; and (3) specify rules for allowing access to non-identifiable health care data for public health and research purposes.

Date: 2009-02-13
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Access to Emergency Medical Services Act of 2009 - Establishes the United States Bipartisan Commission on Access to Emergency Medical Services to: (1) identify and examine factors in the health care delivery, financing, and legal systems that affect the effective delivery of screening and stabilization services furnished in hospitals that have emergency departments pursuant to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA); and (2) make specific recommendations to Congress with respect to federal programs, policies, and financing needed to assure the availability of such screening and stabilization services and the coordination of state, local, and federal programs for responding to disasters and emergencies. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for additional payments for certain physicians' emergency services furnished pursuant to EMTALA. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to convene a working group that includes experts in emergency care, inpatient critical care, hospital operations management, nursing, and other relevant disciplines to develop boarding and diversion standards for hospitals and guidelines, measures, and incentives for implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of such standards. Requires the CMS working group to: (1) identify barriers contributing to delays in timely processing of patients requiring admission as inpatients who initially sought care through the hospital's emergency department; (2) identify best practices to improve patient flow within hospitals; and (3) report to Congress and the Secretary a detailed description of the standards, guidelines, measures, and incentives developed, as well as identified barriers and best practices. Directs the Secretary to establish a mechanism to make public information regarding any hospital that fails to report information requested by the CMS working group.

Date: 2009-02-25
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program to identify efficient, effective, and economical procedures for long-term care facilities or providers to conduct background checks on prospective direct patient access employees on a nationwide basis under similar terms and conditions as the pilot program established under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. Sets forth requirements for states wishing to participate in the program, including requiring: (1) searches of neglect registries and databases; (2) searches of any proceedings that may contain disqualifying information; (3) searches of federal criminal history records, including a fingerprint check; and (4) methods that reduce duplicative fingerprinting. Sets forth program requirements. Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to evaluate the program under this Act. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require state claims processing and information retrieval systems to incorporate compatible methodologies of the National Correct Coding Initiative administered by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to identify and notify states as to which methodologies should be incorporated.

Date: 2009-03-18
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to direct skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and nursing facilities to make available ownership and additional disclosable parties information for submission to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the state in which the facility is located, and in certain instances the state long-term care ombudsman. Outlines accountability requirements for such institutions. Directs the Secretary to establish a quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) program for SNFs, including multi-unit chains of such facilities. Requires specified additional information to appear on the HHS Nursing Home Compare Medicare Website. Requires SNFs to separately report expenditures for wages and benefits for different levels of direct care staff. Directs the Secretary to develop a standardized form for use by a resident (or a person acting on the resident's behalf) in filing a complaint about a SNF with a state survey and certification agency or long-term care ombudsman program. Requires a state to establish a complaint resolution process. Directs the Secretary to establish a program for SNFs to report staffing information based on payroll data and other verifiable and auditable data in a uniform format. Outlines rules governing civil monetary penalties for SNF violations. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the financial status, resident care, and performance of SNFs and nursing facilities in the Special Focus Facility (or a successor) program of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services relative to a comparable sample of facilities outside such program. Directs the Secretary to establish a national independent monitoring pilot program to oversee interstate and large intrastate chains of SNFs. Requires a SNF administrator to notify the Secretary and other responsible parties of an impending closure of the facility. Directs the Secretary to conduct demonstration projects on the culture change movement and the development of best practices in SNFs and nursing facilities for the use of information technology to improve resident care. Directs the Secretary establish requirements for the approval of nurse aide training and competency evaluation programs that include dementia management training and patient abuse prevention training. Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on training for certified nurse aides and supervisory staff of SNFs and nursing facilities.

Date: 2009-03-19
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Far South Texas Veterans Medical Center Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to construct a major medical facility project in Far South Texas, consisting of a full-service Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, to meet the health care needs of veterans residing in such area.

Date: 2009-03-25
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Promoting Small House Nursing Homes Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a small house nursing home loan program under which the Secretary makes grants for the establishment, renovation, and construction of small house nursing homes that meet the requirements of this Act. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) a Small House Advisory Panel to evaluate applications for loans under the program in conjunction with lenders; and (2) an evaluation tool and evaluation criteria with which to prioritize borrowers.Sets forth eligibility criteria for a loan under this Act, including that that home: (1) is designed to establish substantive culture change; (2) has been approved to operate a skilled nursing facility or a nursing facility; and (3) ensures that at least 30% of the residents of the facility are Medicaid-funded individuals.Requires the Secretary to develop model small house nursing home guidelines. Sets forth requirements for a small house nursing home that obtains proceeds from a direct loan under this Act, including that the home provides specified training to all staff. Gives priority in awarding loans to nursing homes that have a certain residential structure, such as private bedrooms, and to homes with a legally binding collective bargaining agreement.Terminates this program 25 years after the date on which amounts are initially appropriated.

Date: 2009-04-01
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Children's Hospitals Education Equity Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the definition of "children's hospital" for purposes of payments associated with operating approved graduate medical residency training programs to include a freestanding psychiatric hospital: (1) with 90% or more inpatients under the age of 18; (2) that has its own Medicare provider number as of December 6, 1999; and (3) that has an accredited residency program.

Date: 2009-04-20
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Health
Helicopter Medical Services Patient Safety, Protection, and Coordination Act - Authorizes states to regulate helicopter medical services with respect to: (1) the medical qualifications and training of helicopter medical personnel; and (2) the obligation of providers of helicopter medical services to comply with a state's health planning, patient safety, and medical service requirements. Prohibits states from imposing requirements on pilots. Authorizes states to regulate the following aspects of helicopter medical services to the extent such regulations are harmonized with applicable federal operating requirements: (1) establishment of criteria for determination of the appropriate medical institution to receive a transported patient; (2) specification of service requirements with respect to geographic areas within a state or during specified hours and days; (3) coordination of flight requests for emergency helicopter medical services; (4) compliance with medical services accreditation requirements, except where they infringe upon relevant federal operating requirements; and (5) provision of emergency helicopter medical services to all persons where needed. Authorizes a state to regulate certain aspects of helicopter medical services to the extent that such regulations are consistent with, and do not infringe upon, applicable federal operating requirements. Specifies among the aspects of helicopter medical services which states may regulate: (1) the necessary medical equipment and supplies to be carried on board or affixed to the helicopter; (2) the physical attributes of the helicopter necessary for the provision of quality medical care and for the protection of helicopter, ground medical, and emergency response personnel; and (3) specified communication capabilities among helicopter medical personnel and emergency medical services and public safety personnel, and between the flight crew and helicopter medical personnel. Requires a provider of helicopter medical services that is licensed in more than one state where state helicopter medical services regulations are inconsistent to comply with the most stringent regulation. Requires a state, if necessary, to establish regulations or negotiate mutual aid agreements with adjacent states, or providers of helicopter medical services in such states, to ensure access to such services across state borders.

Date: 2009-04-22
Topic: Health (Medical Facilities)
Subject: Transportation and public works