To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a permanent hold harmless provision for sole community hospitals under the Medicare prospective payment system for covered outpatient department services.

Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for a permanent hold harmless provision for sole community hospitals under the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for covered outpatient department (OPD) services.

Declares that, in the case of a sole community hospital for covered OPD services furnished after December 31, 2005, for which the PPS amount is less than the pre-BBA amount, the amount of payment shall be increased by the amount of such difference.

(Pre-BBA amount means an amount equal to the product of the reasonable cost of the hospital for such services for the portions of the hospital's cost reporting period (or periods) occurring in the year and the base OPD payment-to-cost ratio for the hospital.)

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4757 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4757

   To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a 
 permanent hold harmless provision for sole community hospitals under 
    the Medicare prospective payment system for covered outpatient 
                          department services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 15, 2006

Mrs. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to 
   the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a 
 permanent hold harmless provision for sole community hospitals under 
    the Medicare prospective payment system for covered outpatient 
                          department services.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PERMANENT HOLD HARMLESS FOR SOLE COMMUNITY HOSPITALS UNDER 
              THE MEDICARE PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR HOSPITAL 
              OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Section 1833(t)(7)(D) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)(7)(D)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new clause:
                            ``(iii) Permanent hold harmless for sole 
                        community hospitals.--In the case of a sole 
                        community hospital (as defined in section 
                        1886(d)(5)(D)(iii)), for covered OPD services 
                        furnished after December 31, 2005, for which 
                        the PPS amount is less than the pre-BBA amount, 
                        the amount of payment under this subsection 
                        shall be increased by the amount of such 
                        difference.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to payment for OPD services furnished on and after 
January 1, 2006.
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