summary
Introduced
01/11/2019
01/11/2019
In Committee
03/01/2019
03/01/2019
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
12/31/2020
12/31/2020
Introduced Session
116th Congress
Bill Summary
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase hospital competition, and for other purposes. This bill establishes a series of programs and requirements relating to hospital costs, payments, and infrastructure. Among other things, the bill requires hospitals, as a condition of Medicare participation, to (1) in the case of hospitals that meet specified market concentration thresholds, apply Medicare reimbursement rates regardless of whether the individual receiving services is entitled to or enrolled in Medicare; and (2) publish the prices charged for specified services that are highly utilized. The bill also repeals (1) performance incentives under the Medicare Shared Savings Program for accountable care organizations, and (2) provisions under the Stark law (i.e., the Physician Self-Referral Law) that prohibit physician-owned hospitals from expanding facility capacity.
AI Summary
This bill, the Hospital Competition Act of 2019, aims to increase hospital competition by establishing several programs and requirements. Key provisions include:
1. Authorizing $160 million in funding for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate anti-competitive hospital mergers and practices.
2. Requiring hospitals with high market concentration (Herfindahl-Hirschman Index above 4,000 in urban areas or 5,000 in rural areas) to apply Medicare reimbursement rates to all patients, regardless of their Medicare eligibility.
3. Providing grants to states that meet certain criteria, such as not having certificate-of-need laws or scope-of-practice restrictions, to improve hospital infrastructure.
4. Repealing performance incentives for accountable care organizations under the Medicare Shared Savings Program and provisions that limit the expansion of physician-owned hospitals.
5. Requiring hospitals to publicly post the volume-weighted average prices charged for the 100 most highly utilized services.
The bill aims to promote competition and transparency in the hospital industry.
Committee Categories
Business and Industry, Government Affairs, Health and Social Services
Sponsors (2)
Last Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. (on 03/01/2019)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/506/all-info |
| BillText | https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hr506/BILLS-116hr506ih.pdf |
| Bill | https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hr506/BILLS-116hr506ih.pdf.pdf |
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