[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 326 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 326
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 15
percent reduction in payment rates under the prospective payment system
for home health services and to permanently increase payments for such
services that are furnished in rural areas.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 14, 2001
Ms. Collins (for herself, Mr. Bond, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Reed, Mr. Jeffords,
Mr. Roberts, Mr. Levin, Mr. Hutchinson, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Enzi, Ms.
Mikulski, Mr. Smith of New Hampshire, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Chafee, Mr.
DeWine, Mr. Helms, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Specter, Mr. Murkowski, Ms.
Snowe, Mr. Warner, Mr. Gregg, Mrs. Carnahan, Mr. Lugar, and Mr.
Cochran) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 15
percent reduction in payment rates under the prospective payment system
for home health services and to permanently increase payments for such
services that are furnished in rural areas.
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 ``Home Health Payment Fairness Act of
2001''.
SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF 15 PERCENT REDUCTION IN PAYMENT RATES UNDER THE
PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR HOME HEALTH SERVICES.
(a) In General.--Section 1895(b)(3)(A) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1395fff(b)(3)(A)), as amended by section 501(a) of the
Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act
of 2000 (as enacted into law by section 1(a)(6) of Public Law 106-554),
is amended to read as follows:
``(A) Initial basis.--Under such system the
Secretary shall provide for computation of a standard
prospective payment amount (or amounts) as follows:
``(i) Such amount (or amounts) shall
initially be based on the most current audited
cost report data available to the Secretary and
shall be computed in a manner so that the total
amounts payable under the system for fiscal
year 2001 shall be equal to the total amount
that would have been made in such year if the
system had not been in effect and if section
1861(v)(1)(L)(ix) had not been enacted.
``(ii) For fiscal year 2002 and for each
subsequent fiscal year, such amount (or
amounts) shall be equal to the amount (or
amounts) determined under this paragraph for
the previous fiscal year, updated under
subparagraph (B).
Each such amount shall be standardized in a manner that
eliminates the effect of variations in relative case
mix and area wage adjustments among different home
health agencies in a budget neutral manner consistent
with the case mix and wage level adjustments provided
under paragraph (4)(A). Under the system, the Secretary
may recognize regional differences or differences based
upon whether or not the services or agency are in an
urbanized area.''.
(b) Elimination of Report.--Section 302(c) of the Medicare,
Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 (Appendix F,
113 Stat. 1501A-360), as enacted into law by section 1000(a)(6) of
Public Law 106-113, and as amended by section 501(b) of the Medicare,
Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (as
enacted into law by section 1(a)(6) of Public Law 106-554), is
repealed.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take
effect as if included in the amendments made by section 501 of the
Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act
of 2000 (as enacted into law by section 1(a)(6) of Public Law 106-554).
SEC. 3. PERMANENT INCREASE FOR HOME HEALTH SERVICES FURNISHED IN A
RURAL AREA.
(a) In General.--Section 1895 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395fff), as amended by section 504 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and
SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (as enacted into
law by section 1(a)(6) of Public Law 106-554), is amended by adding at
the end the following new subsection:
``(f) Increase for Services Furnished in a Rural Area.--
``(1) In general.--In the case of home health services
furnished in a rural area (as defined in section 1886(d)(2)(D))
on or after April 1, 2001, the Secretary shall increase the
payment amount otherwise made under this section for such
services by 10 percent.
``(2) Waiver of budget neutrality.--The Secretary shall not
reduce the standard prospective payment amount (or amounts)
under this section applicable to home health services furnished
during a period to offset the increase in payments resulting
from the application of paragraph (1).''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 508 of the Medicare, Medicaid,
and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (as enacted
into law by section 1(a)(6) of Public Law 106-554) is repealed.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take
effect as if included in the enactment of the Medicare, Medicaid, and
SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (as enacted into
law by section 1(a)(6) of Public Law 106-554).
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