[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 629 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 629

 To enable hospital-based nursing programs that are affiliated with a 
 hospital to maintain payments under the Medicare program to hospitals 
                    for the costs of such programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 3, 2015

Mr. Portman (for himself, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Fischer, Mrs. McCaskill, Ms. 
Baldwin, Mr. Kirk, and Mr. Blunt) introduced the following bill; which 
        was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To enable hospital-based nursing programs that are affiliated with a 
 hospital to maintain payments under the Medicare program to hospitals 
                    for the costs of such 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 ``Making the Education of Nurses 
Dependable for Schools Act'' or the ``MEND Act''.

SEC. 2. ENABLING HOSPITAL-BASED NURSING PROGRAMS THAT ARE AFFILIATED 
              WITH A HOSPITAL TO MAINTAIN MEDICARE PAYMENTS FOR THE 
              COSTS OF SUCH PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--For purposes of clarifying the methodology for 
payment under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social 
Security Act to providers for the costs of nursing and allied health 
education activities for cost reporting periods beginning on or after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall apply section 413.85 of title 42, Code of 
Regulations--
            (1) by treating a provider as meeting all of the 
        requirements described in paragraph (f)(1) of such section if 
        the provider or a wholly owned subsidiary educational 
        institution of such provider singly or collectively meets all 
        of such requirements;
            (2) in the case of a provider that would meet the 
        requirements of paragraph (g)(3) of such section, with respect 
        to a nursing or allied health education program, except that 
        the transfer described in such paragraph of such a program to a 
        wholly owned subsidiary educational institution in order to 
        meet accreditation standards occurred after October 1, 2003, by 
        treating such provider as meeting the requirements of such 
        paragraph (and eligible for payments under such paragraph) with 
        respect to such program;
            (3) in the case of a provider or wholly owned subsidiary 
        educational institution of such provider that has been in 
        continuous operation since October 1, 2003, by treating such 
        provider, beginning as of such date with respect to such 
        program, as described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this 
        subsection; and
            (4) by defining the term ``wholly owned subsidiary 
        educational institution'', as referenced in such section, as 
        such term is defined under subsection (b).
    (b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Provider.--The term ``provider'' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 400.202 of title 42, Code of Federal 
        Regulations.
            (2) Wholly owned subsidiary educational institution.--The 
        term ``wholly owned subsidiary educational institution'' means, 
        with respect to a provider, an educational institution that--
                    (A) is organized as a legal entity distinct from 
                the provider;
                    (B) has the provider as its sole owner or sole 
                member; and
                    (C) is organized in the same State in which the 
                provider is organized or registered to do business.
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