[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 319 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 319

  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.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 8, 2003

  Mr. Stupak introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy 
    and 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. ELIMINATION OF 15 PERCENT REDUCTION IN PAYMENT RATES UNDER 
              THE 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)) 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) as follows:
                            ``(i) 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 fiscal 
                        year 2001 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.
                            ``(ii) For fiscal year 2002 and for each 
                        subsequent fiscal year, such amount (or 
                        amounts) shall be equal to the amount (or 
                        amounts) determined under this paragraph for 
                        the previous fiscal year, updated under 
                        subparagraph (B).
                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 amendments made by this section shall take 
effect as if included in the amendments made by section 501 of the 
Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act 
of 2000 (114 Stat. 2763A-529), as enacted into law by section 1(a)(6) 
of Public Law 106-554.
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