H.R. 1775

119 HR 1775 IH: Second Chances for Rural Hospitals Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-03-03
 text/xml
 EN
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 I  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  H. R. 1775  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   March 3, 2025   Mr. Arrington  (for himself,  Ms. Tokuda , and  Mr. Pfluger ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Ways and Means , and in addition to the Committee on  Energy and Commerce , 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 modify the criteria for designation of rural emergency hospitals.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Second Chances for Rural Hospitals Act  .
2.
Expanding the definition of rural emergency hospital under the Medicare program
(a)
In general
Section 1861(kkk) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x(kkk) ) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (2)(A), by striking  is enrolled under section 1866(j)  and inserting  except in the case of a facility described in paragraph (3)(B) ;
(2)
in paragraph (3)—
(A)
in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting  ; or ;
(B)
by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, and adjusting the margins accordingly;
(C)
by striking  facility that as of  and inserting
facility—
(A)
that as of
 ; and
(D)
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
(B)
that—
(i)
during the period beginning January 1, 2014, and ending December 26, 2020—
(I)
was a critical access hospital; or
(II)
was a subsection (d) hospital (as defined in section 1886(d)(1)(B)) located in a county (or equivalent unit of local government) in a rural area (as defined in section 1886(d)(2)(D)); and
(ii)
as of the date of the enactment of this subparagraph, had ceased operations.
 ; and
(3)
in paragraph (4)—
(A)
in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking  An action plan  and inserting  Except in the case of a facility described in paragraph (3)(B), an action plan ; and
(B)
in subparagraph (B)(i), by inserting  except in the case of a facility described in paragraph (3)(B),  before  the facility .
(b)
Amendments to payment rules
Section 1834(x) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395m(x) ) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (1), by inserting  , except that, in the case of a facility described in section 1861(kkk)(3)(B) that, as of the date on which such facility submits an application under section 1866(j) to enroll under this title as a rural emergency hospital, is located less than 35 miles away from the nearest hospital, critical access hospital, or rural emergency hospital, such increase shall not apply  before the period at the end; and
(2)
in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting  (other than a facility described in section 1861(kkk)(3)(B) that, as of the date on which such facility submits an application under section 1866(j) to enroll under this title as a rural emergency hospital, is located less than 10 miles away from the nearest hospital, critical access hospital, or rural emergency hospital)  after  rural emergency hospital .
(c)
Effective date
The amendments made by this section shall apply beginning January 1, 2027.