[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 29 (Thursday, February 15, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S2079]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COLEMAN (for himself, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Harkin):
  S. 630. A bill to amend part C of title XVIII of the Social Security 
Act to provide for a minimum payment rate by Medicare Advantage 
organizations for services furnished by a critical access hospital and 
a rural health clinic under the Medicare program; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill I introduce today, the Rural Health Services Preservation Act 
of 2007, be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill the of the was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 630

       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 Health Services 
     Preservation Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. MINIMUM PAYMENT RATE BY MEDICARE ADVANTAGE 
                   ORGANIZATIONS FOR SERVICES FURNISHED BY A 
                   CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL AND A RURAL HEALTH 
                   CLINIC.

       (a) In General.--Section 1857(e) of the Social Security Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 1395w-27(e)) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(4) Minimum payment rate for services furnished by a 
     critical access hospital and a rural health clinic.--A 
     contract under this section between an MA organization and 
     the Secretary for the offering of an MA plan shall require 
     the organization to provide for a payment rate under the plan 
     for inpatient and outpatient critical access hospital 
     services and rural health clinic services furnished to 
     enrollees of the plan and for extended care services 
     furnished by a critical access hospital under an agreement 
     entered into under section 1883 to such enrollees (whether or 
     not the services are furnished pursuant to an agreement 
     between such organization and a critical access hospital or a 
     rural health clinic) that is not less than--
       ``(A) the applicable payment rate established under part A 
     or part B (which includes the payment of an interim rate and 
     a subsequent cost reconciliation) with respect to the 
     critical access hospital for such inpatient, outpatient, and 
     extended care services or the rural health clinic for such 
     rural health clinic services; or
       ``(B) if the critical access hospital or the rural health 
     clinic determines appropriate, 103 percent of the applicable 
     interim payment rate established under part A or part B with 
     respect to the critical access hospital for such inpatient, 
     outpatient, and extended care services or the rural health 
     clinic for such rural health clinic services.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall apply to Medicare Advantage contract years beginning on 
     or after January 1, 2008.
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