[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3691 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3691

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the 
  application of a cost-of-living adjustment to the non-labor related 
portion for hospital outpatient department services furnished in Alaska 
                              and Hawaii.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 30, 2024

 Mr. Sullivan (for himself, Mr. Schatz, Ms. Murkowski, and Ms. Hirono) 
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 the 
  application of a cost-of-living adjustment to the non-labor related 
portion for hospital outpatient department services furnished in Alaska 
                              and Hawaii.

    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 ``Ensuring Outpatient Quality for 
Rural States Act''.

SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT TO NON-LABOR RELATED 
              PORTION FOR HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT SERVICES 
              FURNISHED IN ALASKA AND HAWAII.

    Section 1833(t) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(23) Application of cost-of-living adjustment to non-
        labor related portion for hospital outpatient department 
        services furnished in alaska and hawaii.--With respect to OPD 
        services furnished on or after January 1, 2025, the Secretary 
        may provide for adjustments to the payment amounts under this 
        subsection for such services in the same manner that is 
        provided under section 1886(d)(5)(H) with respect to the 
        application of the cost-of-living adjustment to the non-labor 
        related portion of such payment amounts to take into account 
        the unique circumstances of hospitals located in Alaska or 
        Hawaii. The preceding sentence shall not be applied in a budget 
        neutral manner.''.
                                 <all>