[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 551 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 551

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the 
  application of a cost-of-living adjustment to the non-labor related 
portion for hospital outpatient department services furnished in Alaska 
                              and Hawaii.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 12, 2025

 Mr. Sullivan (for himself, Mr. Schatz, and Ms. Murkowski) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                               on Finance

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                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the 
  application of a cost-of-living adjustment to the non-labor related 
portion for hospital outpatient department services furnished in Alaska 
                              and Hawaii.

    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 ``Ensuring Outpatient Quality for 
Rural States Act''.

SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT TO NON-LABOR RELATED 
              PORTION FOR HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT SERVICES 
              FURNISHED IN ALASKA AND HAWAII.

    Section 1833(t) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(23) Application of cost-of-living adjustment to non-
        labor related portion for hospital outpatient department 
        services furnished in alaska and hawaii.--With respect to 
        covered OPD services furnished on or after January 1, 2026, the 
        Secretary may provide for adjustments to the payment amounts 
        under this subsection for such services in the same manner that 
        is provided under section 1886(d)(5)(H) with respect to the 
        application of the cost-of-living adjustment to the non-labor 
        related portion of such payment amounts to take into account 
        the unique circumstances of hospitals located in Alaska or 
        Hawaii. The preceding sentence shall not be applied in a budget 
        neutral manner.''.
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