Sec. 3. Rural emergency hospital program
1,137 words·~5 min read·
/bill/114/s/1648/is/section-3·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Section 1861 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x ) is amended— in subsection (e), in the last sentence of the matter following paragraph (9), by inserting or a rural emergency hospital (as defined in section 1861(iii)(1)) before the period at the end; and by adding at the end the following subsection: The term rural emergency hospital means a facility that— as of December 31, 2014— was a critical access hospital; or was a hospital with not more than 50 beds located in a county (or equivalent unit of local government) in a rural area (as defined in section 1886(d)(2)(D)), or was a hospital with not more than 50 beds that was treated as being located in a rural area pursuant to section 1886(d)(8)(E); or was a critical access hospital described in clause (i)(I) or a hospital described in clause (i)(II) that ceased operations during the period beginning on the date that is 5 years prior to the date of the enactment of this subsection and ending on December 30, 2014; provides 24-hour emergency medical care and observation care that does not exceed an annual per patient average of 24 hours or more than 1 midnight; does not provide any acute care inpatient beds and has protocols in place for the timely transfer of patients who require acute care inpatient services or other inpatient services; has elected to be designated as a rural emergency hospital; has received approval to operate as a rural emergency hospital from the State under section 1834(r)(3)(A); and is certified by the Secretary under section 1834(r)(3)(B).
The term rural emergency hospital outpatient services means medical and other health services furnished by a rural emergency hospital on an outpatient basis. Nothing in this subsection or section 1834(r)(3) shall be construed to prohibit a rural emergency hospital from providing extended care services. . Section 1833(a) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395l(a) ) is amended— in paragraph (8), by striking and at the end; in paragraph (9), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and by inserting after paragraph
(9)the following new paragraph: in the case of rural emergency hospital emergency services and services provided by a rural emergency hospital or other provider of ambulance services to transport patients who require acute care inpatient services or other inpatient services from such rural emergency hospital to a hospital or critical access hospital, the amounts described in section 1834(r). . Section 1834 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395m ) is amended by adding at the end the following subsection: The amount of payment for rural emergency hospital outpatient services of a rural emergency hospital is equal to 110 percent of the reasonable costs of providing such services. For purposes of this paragraph, in determining the reasonable costs of providing rural emergency hospital outpatient services, costs associated with having a backup physician available via a telecommunications system shall be considered reasonable costs. The amount of payment for services provided by a rural emergency hospital or other provider of ambulance services to transport patients who require acute care inpatient services or other inpatient services from such rural emergency hospital to a hospital or critical access hospital is equal to 110 percent of the reasonable costs of providing such services. No payment shall be made under this subsection to a facility, or to a provider of ambulance services providing transportation services from such facility, unless the State in which the facility is located has approved the facility's designation as a rural emergency hospital. No payment shall be made under this subsection to a facility, or to a provider of ambulance services providing transportation services from such facility, unless the facility has been certified by the Secretary as a rural emergency hospital. The Secretary shall certify a facility as a rural emergency hospital if the facility— meets the criteria for rural emergency hospitals described in subparagraphs
(A)through
(E)of section 1861(iii)(1); either— is verified by the American College of Surgeons as having the resources required of a level IV trauma center or higher; or employs healthcare professionals that successfully completed the Advanced Trauma Life Support Course offered by the American College of Surgeons within the preceding 4 years; has in effect a transfer agreement with a level I or level II trauma center; and meets such staff training and certification requirements as the Secretary may require. The amount of payment for rural emergency hospital services or transportation services made to a rural emergency hospital or other provider of ambulance services under this subsection shall be reduced by the coinsurance amount described in subparagraph (B). The coinsurance amount described in this subparagraph, with respect to an item or service provided by a rural emergency hospital or provider of ambulance services, shall be calculated in the same manner as the coinsurance amount for an outpatient critical access hospital service is calculated under section 1866(a)(2). . Section 1820(c)(2) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395i–4(c)(2) ) is amended— in subparagraph (B)(i)(I), by inserting subject to subparagraph (F), before is located ; and by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs: Beginning on the date of the enactment of this subparagraph, for every critical access hospital located in a State that is certified as a rural emergency hospital under section 1834(r)(3)(B), the State shall have the option of waiving the distance requirement described in subparagraph (B)(i)(I) with respect to another facility located in the State that is seeking designation as a critical access hospital under this paragraph. A rural emergency hospital that was previously designated as a critical access hospital under this paragraph may elect to be redesignated as a critical access hospital (in the same manner that the hospital was originally designated as a critical access hospital) at any time, subject to such conditions as the Secretary may establish. . The Secretary of Health & Human Services shall conduct 3 studies to evaluate the impact of rural emergency hospitals on the availability of health care and health outcomes in rural areas (as defined in section 1886(d)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395ww )). The Secretary shall conduct a study— 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act; 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act; and 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. Not later than 6 months after each date that the Secretary of Health & Human Services is required to conduct a study under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress containing the results of each such study. The amendments made by this section shall apply to items and services furnished on or after the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Connectionstraces to 4
1 reference not yet in our index
- 42 USC 1395i–4(c)(2)
Citation graph
cites case law
Sec. 3
Rural emergency hospital program
Cite42 USC 1395i–4(c)(2)
Cites 5Cited by 0 across 0 sources