[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2768 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2768

    To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the 
           medicare-dependent, small rural hospital program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 22, 2000

  Ms. Collins 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 improve the 
           medicare-dependent, small rural hospital 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 ``Small Rural Hospital Program 
Improvement Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. MAKING THE MEDICARE-DEPENDENT, SMALL RURAL HOSPITAL PROGRAM 
              PERMANENT.

    (a) Payment Methodology.--Section 1886(d)(5)(G) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(G)) (as amended by section 404(a) 
of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 
1999 (113 Stat. 1501A-372), as enacted into law by section 1000(a)(6) 
of Public Law 106-113) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``and before October 1, 
        2006,''; and
            (2) in clause (ii)(II), by striking ``and before October 1, 
        2006,''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Target amount.--Section 1886(b)(3)(D) of the Social 
        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(b)(3)(D)) (as amended by section 
        404(b)(1) of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced Budget 
        Refinement Act of 1999 (113 Stat. 1501A-372), as enacted into 
        law by section 1000(a)(6) of Public Law 106-113) is amended--
                    (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
                ``and before October 1, 2006,''; and
                    (B) in clause (iv), by striking ``through fiscal 
                year 2005,'' and inserting ``or any subsequent fiscal 
                year,''.
            (2) Permitting hospitals to decline reclassification.--
        Section 13501(e)(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 
        1993 (42 U.S.C. 1395ww note) (as amended by section 404(b)(2) 
        of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced Budget Refinement 
        Act of 1999 (113 Stat. 1501A-372), as enacted into law by 
        section 1000(a)(6) of Public Law 106-113) is amended by 
        striking ``or fiscal year 2000 through fiscal year 2005'' and 
        inserting ``fiscal year 2000, or any subsequent fiscal year,''.

SEC. 3. OPTION TO BASE ELIGIBILITY ON DISCHARGES DURING ANY OF THE 3 
              MOST RECENT AUDITED COST REPORTING PERIODS.

    (a) Option To Base Eligibility on Discharges During Any of the 3 
Most Recent Audited Cost Reporting Periods.--Section 
1886(d)(5)(G)(iv)(IV) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395ww(d)(5)(G)(iv)(IV)) is amended by inserting ``, or any of the 3 
most recent audited cost reporting periods,'' after ``1987''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to cost reporting periods beginning on or after the 
date of enactment of this Act.
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