[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2361 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2361

To repeal the interim payment system for home health services furnished 
   under the Medicare Program, to eliminate the mandatory 15 percent 
 reduction in payment amounts for such services under the prospective 
    payment system, to continue periodic interim payments for such 
                   services, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 24, 1999

 Mr. Sanders introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on 
Commerce, 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 repeal the interim payment system for home health services furnished 
   under the Medicare Program, to eliminate the mandatory 15 percent 
 reduction in payment amounts for such services under the prospective 
    payment system, to continue periodic interim payments for such 
                   services, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare Home Health Care 
Restoration Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF INTERIM PAYMENT SYSTEM.

    (a) Per Beneficiary Limitation.--
            (1) Repeal.--Section 1861(v)(1)(L) of the Social Security 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(v)(1)(L)) is amended by striking clauses 
        (v) through (ix).
            (2) 15 percent contingent reduction.--Section 4603(e) of 
        the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (42 U.S.C. 1395fff note), as 
        amended by section 5101(c)(3) of the Tax and Trade Relief 
        Extension Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-277), is repealed.
    (b) Restoration of pre-BBA per Visit Payment Amount.--Section 
1861(v)(1)(L)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(v)(1)(L)(i)) is amended--
            (1) in subclause (II), by adding ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in subclause (III)--
                    (A) by striking ``and before October 1, 1997,''; 
                and
                    (B) by striking the comma at the end and inserting 
                a period; and
            (3) by striking subclauses (IV) and (V).
    (c) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the amendments 
        made by this section apply to cost reporting periods beginning 
        on or after October 1, 1997.
            (2) Limitation of payments.--No additional payment shall be 
        made by reason of the amendments under subsection (a) and (b) 
        to a home health agency that, as of the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, has ceased furnishing home health services for 
        which payment may be made under the medicare program (under 
        title XVIII of the Social Security Act).

SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF 15 PERCENT REDUCTION IN BASE RATES UNDER THE 
              PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM.

    (a) Prospective Payment System.--Section 1895(b)(3) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395fff(b)(3)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i)--
                    (A) by striking ``but if the reduction in limits 
                described in clause (ii) had been in effect''; and
                    (B) by striking ``(i) In general.--'' and adjusting 
                the margin accordingly; and
            (2) by striking clause (ii).
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1895(d)(3) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395fff(d)(3)) is amended by striking ``(including the reduction 
described in clause (ii) of such subsection)''.

SEC. 4. CONTINUATION OF PERIODIC INTERIM PAYMENTS TO HOME HEALTH 
              AGENCIES.

    Section 4603(b) of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-
33, 111 Stat. 470) is repealed.

SEC. 5. REPEAL OF FREEZES AND REDUCTIONS IN PAYMENT UPDATES FOR 
              INFLATION.

    (a) Repeal of Two-Year Freeze in Home Health Market Basket 
Percentage Increase.--Section 1861(v)(1)(L) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395x(v)(1)(L)) is amended by striking clause (iv).
    (b) Repeal of Delay in Updates for Wages and Wage-Related Costs.--
Section 1861(v)(1)(L)(iii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(v)(1)(L)(iii)) 
is amended by striking ``, or on or after July 1, 1997, and before 
October 1, 1997''.
    (c) Repeal of Reduction in Home Health Market Basket Percentage 
Increase Under the Prospective Payment System.--Section 1895(b)(3)(B) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395fff(b)(3)(B)), as amended by section 
5101(d)(2) of the Tax and Trade Relief Extension Act of 1998 (Public 
Law 105-277), is amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``home health applicable 
        increase percentage (as defined in clause (ii))'' and inserting 
        ``home health market basket percentage increase'';
            (2) by striking clause (ii); and
            (3) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (ii).
    (d) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the amendments 
        made by subsections (a) and (b) apply with respect to cost 
        reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 1997.
            (2) Limitation of payments.--No additional payment shall be 
        made by reason of the amendments under subsection (a) and (b) 
        to a home health agency that, as of the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, has ceased furnishing home health services for 
        which payment may be made under the medicare program (under 
        title XVIII of the Social Security Act).
                                 <all>