[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1479 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1479

    To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to apply budget 
neutrality on a State-specific basis in the calculation of the Medicare 
             hospital wage index floor for non-rural areas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 19, 2015

Mr. Brady of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to apply budget 
neutrality on a State-specific basis in the calculation of the Medicare 
             hospital wage index floor for non-rural areas.

    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 ``Repeal of the Obamacare Bay State 
Boondoogle Act''.

SEC. 2. APPLYING BUDGET NEUTRALITY ON A STATE-SPECIFIC BASIS IN THE 
              CALCULATION OF THE MEDICARE HOSPITAL WAGE INDEX FLOOR FOR 
              NON-RURAL AREAS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1886(d)(3)(E) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(3)(E)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new clause:
                            ``(iv) Application of budget neutrality 
                        relating to floor on wage area index in non-
                        rural areas.--
                                    ``(I) Application on a state-
                                specific basis.--In the case of 
                                discharges occurring on or after April 
                                1, 2015, for purposes of applying 
                                section 4410(b) of the Balanced Budget 
                                Act of 1997, the Secretary shall 
                                administer such section 4410(b) and 
                                paragraph (e) of section 412.64 of 
                                title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, 
                                as if paragraph (e)(4)(ii) of such 
                                section 412.64, as in effect on the day 
                                before the date of the enactment of 
                                this clause, had never applied and by 
                                using the methodology promulgated in 
                                the Federal Register on August 19, 2008 
                                (73 Fed. Reg. 48570) (applied as if 
                                such methodology had been fully 
                                implemented for fiscal year 2011 using 
                                a 100 percent State-specific adjustment 
                                to the area wage index).
                                    ``(II) Construction.--Nothing in 
                                subclause (I) shall be construed as 
                                preventing the Secretary, for 
                                discharges occurring on or after April 
                                1, 2015, from modifying the regulations 
                                under such section 412.64 to be 
                                consistent with subclause (I) in 
                                carrying out the budget neutrality 
                                requirements of such section 
                                4410(b).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment Terminating Application of Budget 
Neutrality on a Nationwide Basis.--Section 3141 of the Patient 
Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww note) is amended 
by inserting ``and before April 1, 2015,'' after ``2010,''.
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