HR 3225 · 114th Congress 2015–2017, ended

Save Rural Hospitals Act

Introduced Jul 27, 2015 Originated House Sponsor Sam Graves R-MO

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Aug 5, 2015 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedJul 27, 2015
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Save Rural Hospitals Act

This bill amends titles XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to increase payments to, and modify various requirements regarding, rural health care providers under the Medicare program. Among other provisions, the bill: (1) reverses cuts to reimbursement of bad debt for critical access hospitals (CAHs) and rural hospitals, as well as alters certain requirements with regard to CAHs; (2) extends payment levels for low-volume hospitals and Medicare-dependent hospitals (MDHs); (3) reinstates revised diagnosis-related group payments to MDHs and sole community hospitals (SCHs), as well as reinstates hold harmless treatment for hospital outpatient services for SCHs; (4) delays the application of penalties for a rural hospital's failure to become a meaningful electronic health record user; (5) makes permanent increased Medicare payments for ground ambulance services in rural areas; (6) alters certain supervision requirements for therapeutic hospital outpatient services; (7) modifies requirements related to the use and payment of recovery audit contractors; and (8) establishes a program under which rural hospitals meeting specified requirements may be eligible for enhanced payment for qualified outpatient services.

In addition, the bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to eliminate Medicare sequestration for rural hospitals.

The bill also amends title XIX (Medicaid) of SSAct to extend Medicaid primary care payments.

With respect to both the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the bill eliminates disproportionate share hospital payment reductions for rural hospitals.

The bill also amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize several competitive grant programs to assist eligible rural hospitals.

Cosponsors 34

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jul 27, 2015 to May 31, 2016; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-IADavid LoebsackOriginalJul 27, 2015
R-WIGlenn GrothmanSep 9, 2015
R-UTChris StewartSep 28, 2015
R-IADavid YoungSep 30, 2015
D-WIRon KindOct 2, 2015
R-TXMac ThornberryOct 8, 2015
D-MNCollin C. PetersonOct 22, 2015
D-FLAlcee L. HastingsOct 28, 2015
D-AZAnn KirkpatrickNov 5, 2015
R-TXBlake FarentholdNov 16, 2015
D-WIMark PocanNov 16, 2015
R-TXRandy NeugebauerNov 16, 2015
R-WIReid J. RibbleNov 17, 2015
R-LARalph Lee AbrahamNov 18, 2015
D-MNTimothy J. WalzNov 18, 2015
D-TXRuben HinojosaNov 30, 2015
D-CAJared HuffmanDec 1, 2015
R-TXRoger WilliamsDec 3, 2015
R-NDKevin CramerDec 7, 2015
D-NYYvette D. ClarkeJan 5, 2016
R-MSGregg HarperFeb 1, 2016
R-OKFrank D. LucasFeb 3, 2016
D-HIMark TakaiFeb 3, 2016
D-ILCheri BustosFeb 9, 2016
R-OHSteve StiversFeb 11, 2016
R-TXK. Michael ConawayFeb 12, 2016
R-PAGlenn ThompsonFeb 23, 2016
D-TXFilemon VelaMar 14, 2016
R-PATom MarinoMar 14, 2016
D-TXEddie Bernice JohnsonMar 17, 2016
R-MSSteven M. PalazzoMar 17, 2016
R-LACharles W. Boustany, Jr.Apr 12, 2016
R-TNScott DesJarlaisMay 11, 2016
R-ASAumua Amata Coleman RadewagenMay 31, 2016

Committees 3

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseEnergy and Commerce Committee
Referred Jul 27, 2015
Health Subcommittee
Referred Jul 31, 2015
HouseWays and Means Committee
Referred Jul 27, 2015
Health Subcommittee
Referred Aug 5, 2015
HouseBudget Committee
Referred Jul 27, 2015

Actions 4

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Aug 5, 2015Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  2. Jul 31, 2015Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  3. Jul 27, 2015Introduced in House
  4. Jul 27, 2015Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, 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.

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1 (General Welfare) and Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 (Commerce) of the Constitution. The bill makes several changes to the way hospitals are regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This includes transaction between hospitals, CMS, and third parties, which constitutes commerce. Further, Medicare is considered to be constitutional as part of providing for the general welfare and therefore any changes to Medicare would fall under this provision as well.

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 119, July 27, 2015, page H5524.

CRS reports 1

Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.

Cite it 1

Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.

ProductTitleKindPublished
R44232Creating a Federal Advisory Committee in the Executive Branch ArchivedReportDec 9, 2016

Related bills 4

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 257Protecting Access to Rural Therapy Services (PARTS) ActRelated billJan 27, 2015
HR 1611Protecting Access to Rural Therapy Services (PARTS) ActRelated billApr 7, 2015
HR 2156Medicare Audit Improvement Act of 2015Related billMay 18, 2015
HR 2957Save Rural Hospitals ActReintroduced BillJul 11, 2017

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for enhanced payments to rural health care providers under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
Save Rural Hospitals Act

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jul 27, 2015Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.