[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4219 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4219

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 15 
percent reduction in payment rates under the prospective payment system 
          for home health services under the Medicare Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 6, 2000

  Mr. Watkins (for himself, Mr. Watts of Oklahoma, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. 
Peterson of Pennsylvania, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Hilleary, Mr. Boucher, Mr. 
   Conyers, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Pickering, Mr. Baldacci, Mr. Goode, Mr. 
Hoekstra, Mr. Lucas of Oklahoma, Mr. McHugh, Mr. Barcia, Mr. Cook, Mr. 
 Houghton, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Metcalf, Mr. Hefley, Mr. Pastor, Mr. Hall of 
Texas, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Sweeney, Mr. Frost, Mr. Sandlin, Mr. Barrett of 
   Nebraska, Mr. Stupak, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Ballenger, Mr. Evans, Mr. 
Walsh, Ms. Lee, Mr. Boehlert, Mr. McIntosh, Mr. Schaffer, Mr. Bass, Mr. 
 LaFalce, Mr. Rahall, and Mr. Weygand) 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 amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 15 
percent reduction in payment rates under the prospective payment system 
          for home health services under the Medicare Program.

    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 ``Home Health Fairness Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF 15 PERCENT REDUCTION IN PAYMENT RATES UNDER THE 
              MEDICARE PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR HOME HEALTH 
              SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Section 1895(b)(3)(A) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395fff(b)(3)(A)), as amended by sections 302(b) and 303(f) 
of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 
1999 (113 Stat. 1501A-359, 361), as enacted into law by section 
1000(a)(6) of Public Law 106-113, is amended to read as follows:
                    ``(A) Initial basis.--Under such system the 
                Secretary shall provide for computation of a standard 
                prospective payment amount (or amounts). Such amount 
                (or amounts) shall initially be based on the most 
                current audited cost report data available to the 
                Secretary and shall be computed in a manner so that the 
                total amounts payable under the system for the 12-month 
                period beginning on the date the Secretary implements 
                the system shall be equal to the total amount that 
                would have been made if the system had not been in 
                effect and if section 1861(v)(1)(L)(ix) had not been 
                enacted. Each such amount shall be standardized in a 
                manner that eliminates the effect of variations in 
                relative case mix and area wage adjustments among 
                different home health agencies in a budget neutral 
                manner consistent with the case mix and wage level 
                adjustments provided under paragraph (4)(A). Under the 
                system, the Secretary may recognize regional 
                differences or differences based upon whether or not 
                the services or agency are in an urbanized area.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect as if included in the enactment of the Medicare, Medicaid, 
and SCHIP Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-113).
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