[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1955 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1955

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require that the 
 area wage adjustment under the prospective payment system for skilled 
nursing facility services be based on the wages of individuals employed 
                     at skilled nursing facilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 14, 2002

   Mr. Feingold (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Kohl, and Mr. Dayton) 
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 require that the 
 area wage adjustment under the prospective payment system for skilled 
nursing facility services be based on the wages of individuals employed 
                     at skilled nursing facilities.

    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 ``Skilled Nursing Facility Wage 
Information Improvement Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. USE OF SKILLED NURSING FACILITY WAGE DATA UNDER THE PROSPECTIVE 
              PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY SERVICES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Skilled nursing facilities (as defined in section 
        1819(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-3(a))) 
        employ a significantly different group of health care 
        professionals than the health care professionals employed by 
        hospitals (as defined in section 1861(e) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1395x(e))).
            (2) Because of the difference described in paragraph (1) 
        the wage variation in skilled nursing facilities also differs 
        from that of hospitals.
            (3) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is 
        currently collecting skilled nursing facility wage data but has 
        not set a date for implementation of an area wage index for 
        such facilities under the prospective payment system for 
        skilled nursing facility services under section 1888(e) of such 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1395yy(e)) that is based on such wage data.
    (b) Use of Skilled Nursing Facility Wage Data.--Section 
1888(e)(4)(G)(ii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395yy(e)(4)(G)(ii)) is amended--
            (1) in the second sentence, by striking ``Such adjustment'' 
        and inserting ``The area wage adjustment under this clause''; 
        and
            (2) by inserting after the first sentence the following new 
        sentence: ``Beginning October 1, 2002, the area wage adjustment 
        under this clause shall be based on the wages of individuals 
        employed at skilled nursing facilities.''.
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