[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2620 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2620

   To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for an 
  extension of the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program and the 
   increased payments under the Medicare low-volume hospital program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 7, 2012

  Mr. Schumer (for himself and Mr. Grassley) 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 provide for an 
  extension of the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program and the 
   increased payments under the Medicare low-volume 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 ``Rural Hospital Access Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF THE MEDICARE-DEPENDENT HOSPITAL (MDH) PROGRAM.

    (a) Extension of Payment Methodology.--Section 1886(d)(5)(G) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(G)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``October 1, 2012'' and 
        inserting ``October 1, 2013''; and
            (2) in clause (ii)(II), by striking ``October 1, 2012'' and 
        inserting ``October 1, 2013''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Extension of target amount.--Section 1886(b)(3)(D) of 
        the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(b)(3)(D)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
                ``October 1, 2012'' and inserting ``October 1, 2013''; 
                and
                    (B) in clause (iv), by striking ``through fiscal 
                year 2012'' and inserting ``through fiscal year 2013''.
            (2) Permitting hospitals to decline reclassification.--
        Section 13501(e)(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 
        1993 (42 U.S.C. 1395ww note) is amended by striking ``through 
        fiscal year 2012'' and inserting ``through fiscal year 2013''.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF THE INCREASED PAYMENTS UNDER THE MEDICARE LOW-
              VOLUME HOSPITAL PROGRAM.

    Section 1886(d)(12) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395ww(d)(12)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause 
        (i), by striking ``2013'' and inserting ``2014'';
            (2) in subparagraph (C)(i), by striking ``and 2012'' each 
        place it appears and inserting ``, 2012, and 2013''; and
            (3) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and 2012'' and 
        inserting ``, 2012, and 2013''.
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