[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3422 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3422

   To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make temporary 
   improvements to the Medicare inpatient payment adjustment for low-
               volume hospitals, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 30, 2009

Mr. King of Iowa (for himself and Mr. Latham) 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 make temporary 
   improvements to the Medicare inpatient payment adjustment for low-
               volume hospitals, 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 Support for Rural Hospitals 
Act''.

SEC. 2. TEMPORARY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MEDICARE INPATIENT HOSPITAL 
              PAYMENT ADJUSTMENT FOR LOW-VOLUME HOSPITALS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1886(d)(12) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(12)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``or (D) (for 
        discharges occurring in fiscal year 2010)'' after 
        ``subparagraph (B)'';
            (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``The Secretary'' and 
        inserting ``Except as provided in subparagraph (D), the 
        Secretary'';
            (3) in subparagraph (C)(i)--
                    (A) by inserting ``(or, with respect to fiscal year 
                2010, 15 road miles)'' after ``25 road miles''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``(or, with respect to fiscal year 
                2010, 1,500 discharges of individuals entitled to, or 
                enrolled for, benefits under part A)'' after ``800 
                discharges''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(D) Temporary applicable percentage increase.--
                For discharges occurring in fiscal year 2010, the 
                Secretary shall determine an applicable percentage 
                increase for purposes of subparagraph (A) using a 
                continuous linear sliding scale ranging from 25 percent 
                for low-volume hospitals with 200 or fewer discharges 
                of individuals entitled to, or enrolled for, benefits 
                under part A in the fiscal year to 0 percent for low-
                volume hospitals with greater than 1,500 discharges of 
                such individuals in the fiscal year.''.
    (b) Implementation.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services may implement the amendments 
made by subsection (a) by program instruction or otherwise.

SEC. 3. USE OF NON-WAGE ADJUSTED PPS RATE UNDER THE MEDICARE-DEPENDENT 
              HOSPITAL (MDH) PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 1886(d)(5)(G) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(G)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new clause:
    ``(v) In the case of discharges occurring on or after October 1, 
2009, and before October 1, 2010, in determining the amount under 
paragraph (1)(A)(iii) for purposes of clauses (i) and (ii)(II), such 
amount shall, if it results in greater payments to the hospital, be 
determined without regard to any adjustment for different area wage 
levels under paragraph (3)(E).''.
    (b) Implementation.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services may implement the amendment 
made by subsection (a) by program instruction or otherwise.

SEC. 4. REPEAL OF SECTION 211 OF PUBLIC LAW 111-3.

    Section 211 of Public Law 111-3 is repealed.
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