RURAL Rate Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3688 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3688

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase the floor 
for the practice expense and work geographic indices for certain areas.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 15, 2026

 Mr. Sullivan 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 increase the floor 
for the practice expense and work geographic indices for certain 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 ``Rural Underpayment Remedy through 
Adjusted Local Rate Act'' or the ``RURAL Rate Act''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE OF THE FLOOR FOR PRACTICE EXPENSE AND WORK GEOGRAPHIC 
              INDICES FOR CERTAIN AREAS.

    Section 1848(e)(1)(G) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-
4(e)(1)(G)) is amended--
            (1) in the second sentence--
                    (A) by inserting ``and before January 1, 2026,'' 
                after ``January 1, 2009,''; and
                    (B) by inserting a period at the end; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``For 
        purposes of payment for services furnished in the State 
        described in the first sentence on or after January 1, 2026, 
        after calculating the practice expense and work geographic 
        indices in clauses (i) and (iii) of subparagraph (A) and in 
        subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall increase either such 
        index to 1.67 if such index would otherwise be less than 
        1.67.''.
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