Bill > S553

This bill, known as the Save our Lone Emergency Services (SOLES) Act, aims to provide financial support for sole community hospitals located in Alaska and Hawaii under the hospital outpatient prospective payment system (HOPPS). Specifically, the bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to increase payments to these hospitals if their reimbursement under the current system is less than 94% of their reasonable costs. This means that if a sole community hospital in Alaska or Hawaii is not receiving adequate compensation for outpatient services, the government will make up the difference. The bill mandates that these additional payments will not be subject to budget neutrality requirements, ensuring that the hospitals receive the full supplemental funding without reducing payments to other hospitals. The bill also stipulates that the additional payments will not affect patient copayment amounts and requires the Secretary to develop implementing regulations within a specified timeframe. This legislation is designed to support rural and geographically isolated hospitals that might otherwise struggle to maintain their emergency and outpatient services due to limited financial resources.

Budget and Finance

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/553/all-info