Rebuild America’s Health Care Schools Act of 2025
This bill allows hospitals to receive reimbursement under Medicare for certain costs associated with training nursing and allied health students in settings other than the hospital itself.
Currently, hospitals may receive reimbursement under Medicare for the reasonable costs associated with training nursing and allied health students if certain conditions are met; the criteria vary depending on whether the students are enrolled in an educational program that is operated by the hospital or another entity. If the students are part of a program that is operated by another entity, the training must occur at the hospital itself or in areas immediately surrounding the hospital in order to qualify for reimbursement (among other requirements). The bill allows hospitals to receive reimbursement for these costs if the training is conducted at an entity that is related to the hospital (i.e., common ownership or control).
The bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to update regulations to reflect these changes. Additionally, the CMS may not recoup or reduce payments to hospitals with respect to costs that are allowed under the bill and must refund any such recoupments or reductions that occurred during the six-year period prior to the bill's enactment.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1708 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1708
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to adjust allowable
direct and indirect costs for nursing and allied health education
programs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2025
Mr. LaHood (for himself, Ms. Craig, and Mrs. Fischbach) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to adjust allowable
direct and indirect costs for nursing and allied health education
programs.
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 ``Rebuild America's Health Care
Schools Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. ADJUSTING ALLOWABLE DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS FOR NURSING AND
ALLIED HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--Section 1861(v)(1) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395x(v)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following new
subparagraph:
``(X)(i) In determining such reasonable costs for nursing and
allied health education furnished by a hospital, beginning with respect
to cost reporting periods beginning on or after the date of the
enactment of the Rebuild America's Health Care Schools Act of 2025, the
Secretary shall include as reasonable costs all direct and indirect
costs incurred by a hospital participating in a nursing and allied
health education program licensed by State law or accredited by a
national or regional professional organization, including costs that--
``(I) were directly incurred by the hospital;
``(II) were allocated to the hospital by a related entity
holding the applicable State license or accreditation by a
national or regional professional organization; or
``(III) were associated with the training of a program
participant at the hospital or at a related entity.
``(ii) For purposes of clause (i), the term `related entity' means,
with respect to a hospital, any entity that is related by common
ownership or control to--
``(I) the hospital itself; or
``(II) an entity--
``(aa) in which the hospital (or another entity
that is a related entity with respect to the hospital)
is the sole corporate member;
``(bb) that is the sole corporate member of the
hospital;
``(cc) that is part of the same legal entity as the
hospital; or
``(dd) that shares a board with the hospital.''.
(b) Allowing Health Systems and Hospital-Based Schools To Provide
Clinical Training and Support.--Not later than 120 days after the date
of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall issue such rules as are necessary to carry out the
amendments made by subsection (a).
(c) Prohibiting Recoupment of Certain Costs Under Medicare.--
(1) In general.--Beginning on the date of the enactment of
this section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services may
not recoup or reduce payments made to a hospital under part A
of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395c et
seq.) for costs related to an approved nursing or allied health
education program that are included on the Medicare cost report
for such hospital if such costs would be allowable after the
amendments made by subsection (a) take effect.
(2) Refund of amounts recouped.--If, during the 6-year
period ending on the date of the enactment of this section, the
Secretary recouped or reduced payments made to a hospital under
such part A for costs described in paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall refund to the hospital the amount so recouped or reduced.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line