RURAL HELP Act of 2020

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 7534 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study on potential disparities in incurred costs for rural and urban hospitals under the inpatient prospective payment system and to authorize appropriate payment adjust- ments. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JULY 9, 2020 Mr. KELLER (for himself, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. HAGEDORN, Mr. CRAWFORD, and Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania) introduced the fol- lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study on potential disparities in incurred costs for rural and urban hospitals under the inpatient prospective payment system and to authorize appropriate payment adjustments. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reviewing Urban and 4 Rural Adjustments to Level Hospital Expenses and Lop- 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Jul 28, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7534.IH H7534 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 7534 IH sided Payments Act of 2020’’ or the ‘‘RURAL HELP Act 1 of 2020’’. 2 SEC. 2. STUDY ON INCURRED COSTS DISPARITIES UNDER 3 IPPS; AUTHORIZATION OF PAYMENT ADJUST- 4 MENTS. 5 Section 1886(d)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 6 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)) is amended by adding at the end 7 the following new subparagraph: 8 ‘‘(N)(i) Not later than 2 years after the date of the 9 enactment of this subparagraph, the Secretary shall con- 10 duct a study to determine if, under the methodology for 11 determining payments under paragraph (1)(A), and using 12 both national and hospital-specific cost-to-charge ratios, 13 costs incurred by hospitals located in rural areas by diag- 14 nosis-related group exceed those costs incurred by hos- 15 pitals located in urban areas. 16 ‘‘(ii) Insofar as the Secretary determines through the 17 study conducted under clause (i) that costs incurred by 18 hospitals located in rural areas exceed those costs incurred 19 by hospitals located in urban areas, the Secretary shall 20 provide for an appropriate adjustment to payments under 21 paragraph (1)(A) to reflect those higher costs for dis- 22 charges occurring on or after October 1 of a year specified 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Jul 28, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7534.IH H7534 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 7534 IH by the Secretary (but in no case later than 2 years after 1 the date of the enactment of this subparagraph).’’. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Jul 28, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H7534.IH H7534 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS