[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 160 (Tuesday, November 12, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S7963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL GME SUPPORT REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2013
Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed
to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 227, S. 1557.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 1557) to amend the Public Health Service Act to
reauthorize support for graduate medical education programs
in children's hospitals.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Ms. WARREN. I ask the bill be read a third time and passed, the
motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with
no intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (S. 1557) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading,
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:
S. 1557
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 ``Children's Hospital GME
Support Reauthorization Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. PROGRAM OF PAYMENTS TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS THAT
OPERATE GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--Section 340E of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 256e) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``through 2005 and each
of fiscal years 2007 through 2011'' and inserting ``through
2005, each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011, and each of
fiscal years 2014 through 2018''; and
(2) in subsection (f)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(A)--
(i) in clause (iii), by striking ``and'';
(ii) in clause (iv), by striking the period and inserting
``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(v) for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018,
$100,000,000.''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'';
(ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period and
inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018,
$200,000,000.''.
(b) Report to Congress.--Section 340E(b)(3)(D) of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 256e(b)(3)(D)) is
amended by striking ``Not later than the end of fiscal year
2011'' and inserting ``Not later than the end of fiscal year
2018''.
SEC. 3. SUPPORT OF GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN
CERTAIN HOSPITALS.
Section 340E of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
256e) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(h) Additional Provisions.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to make
available up to 25 percent of the total amounts in excess of
$245,000,000 appropriated under paragraphs (1) and (2) of
subsection (f), but not to exceed $7,000,000, for payments to
hospitals qualified as described in paragraph (2), for the
direct and indirect expenses associated with operating
approved graduate medical residency training programs, as
described in subsection (a).
``(2) Qualified hospitals.--
``(A) In general.--To qualify to receive payments under
paragraph (1), a hospital shall be a free-standing hospital--
``(i) with a Medicare payment agreement and that is
excluded from the Medicare inpatient hospital prospective
payment system pursuant to section 1886(d)(1)(B) of the
Social Security Act and its accompanying regulations;
``(ii) whose inpatients are predominantly individuals under
18 years of age;
``(iii) that has an approved medical residency training
program as defined in section 1886(h)(5)(A) of the Social
Security Act; and
``(iv) that is not otherwise qualified to receive payments
under this section or section 1886(h) of the Social Security
Act.
``(B) Establishment of residency cap.--In the case of a
freestanding children's hospital that, on the date of
enactment of this subsection, meets the requirements of
subparagraph (A) but for which the Secretary has not
determined an average number of full-time equivalent
residents under section 1886(h)(4) of the Social Security
Act, the Secretary may establish such number of full-time
equivalent residents for the purposes of calculating payments
under this subsection.
``(3) Payments.--Payments to hospitals made under this
subsection shall be made in the same manner as payments are
made to children's hospitals, as described in subsections (b)
through (e).
``(4) Payment amounts.--The direct and indirect payment
amounts under this subsection shall be determined using per
resident amounts that are no greater than the per resident
amounts used for determining direct and indirect payment
amounts under subsection (a).
``(5) Reporting.--A hospital receiving payments under this
subsection shall be subject to the reporting requirements
under subsection (b)(3).
``(6) Remaining funds.--
``(A) In general.--If the payments to qualified hospitals
under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year are less than the total
amount made available under such paragraph for that fiscal
year, any remaining amounts for such fiscal year may be made
available to all hospitals participating in the program under
this subsection or subsection (a).
``(B) Quality bonus system.--For purposes of distributing
the remaining amounts described in subparagraph (A), the
Secretary may establish a quality bonus system, whereby the
Secretary distributes bonus payments to hospitals
participating in the program under this subsection or
subsection (a) that meet standards specified by the
Secretary, which may include a focus on quality measurement
and improvement, interpersonal and communications skills,
delivering patient-centered care, and practicing in
integrated health systems, including training in community-
based settings. In developing such standards, the Secretary
shall collaborate with relevant stakeholders, including
program accrediting bodies, certifying boards, training
programs, health care organizations, health care purchasers,
and patient and consumer groups.''.
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