[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2208 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2208

   To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to strengthen and 
                   protect Medicare hospice programs.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 1, 2015

 Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Thompson of California) 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 strengthen and 
                   protect Medicare hospice programs.

    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 ``Hospice Commitment to Accurate and 
Relevant Encounters Act'' or the ``Hospice CARE''.

SEC. 2. ENSURING TIMELY ACCESS TO HOSPICE CARE.

    (a) In General.--Section 1814(a)(7)(D)(i) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395f(a)(7)(D)(i)) is amended to read as follows:
                            ``(i) a hospice physician, nurse 
                        practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or 
                        physician assistant (as those terms are defined 
                        in section 1861(aa)(5)), or other health 
                        professional (as designated by the Secretary), 
                        has a face-to-face encounter with the 
                        individual to determine continued eligibility 
                        of the individual for hospice care prior to the 
                        first 60-day period and each subsequent 
                        recertification under subparagraph (A)(ii) (or, 
                        in the case where a hospice program newly 
                        admits an individual who would be entering 
                        their first 60-day period or a subsequent 
                        hospice benefit period or where exceptional 
                        circumstances, as defined by the Secretary, may 
                        prevent a face-to-face encounter prior to the 
                        beginning of the hospice benefit period, not 
                        later than 7 calendar days after the 
                        individual's election under section 1812(d)(1) 
                        with respect to the hospice program) and 
                        attests that such visit took place (in 
                        accordance with procedures established by the 
                        Secretary); and''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) takes 
effect on January 1, 2016, and applies to hospice care furnished on or 
after such date.
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