Bill > S3103

Introduced Session

A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to restore State authority to waive for certain facilities the 35-mile rule for designating critical access hospitals under the Medicare program. This bill allows additional hospitals to qualify as critical access hospitals (CAHs) that receive special payment under Medicare. Currently, in order to qualify as a CAH under Medicare, a hospital must either (1) be located more than 35 miles (or 15 miles in mountainous regions or areas with only secondary roads) from another hospital, or (2) have been certified prior to January 1, 2006, by the state as a necessary provider of services in the area. The bill allows a hospital to also qualify if the hospital is a small, rural hospital that (1) serves a health professional shortage area, or a high number of low-income individuals or Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries; (2) has experienced financial losses for two consecutive years; and (3) attests to having a strategic plan to address financial solvency.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Dick Durbin (D)*,  John Boozman (R),  Shelley Moore Capito (R),  Cindy Hyde-Smith (R),  Doug Jones (D),  Mark Kelly (D),  James Lankford (R),  Gary Peters (D),  Mike Rounds (R),  Kyrsten Sinema (I),  Tina Smith (D),  Debbie Stabenow (D),  Roger Wicker (R), 

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S7161) (on 12/18/2019)

Official Document