Saving Rural Hospitals from Closure Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 7759 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to forgive the repayment, extend the timeline of repayment, and lower the interest rate of Medicare hospital accelerated payments made during the COVID–19 public health emer- gency, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JULY 23, 2020 Mr. SMITH of Missouri (for himself, Mr. MCKINLEY, Mrs. MILLER, Mr. LONG, Mr. ARMSTRONG, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee, and Mr. FORTENBERRY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to forgive the repayment, extend the timeline of repayment, and lower the interest rate of Medicare hospital accelerated payments made during the COVID–19 public health emergency, and for other purposes. 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 ‘‘Saving Rural Hospitals 4 from Closure Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:12 Aug 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7759.IH H7759 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 7759 IH SEC. 2. AUTHORIZING THE FORGIVENESS OF REPAYMENT, 1 EXTENSION OF REPAYMENT, AND LOWERING 2 OF INTEREST RATE OF MEDICARE HOSPITAL 3 ACCELERATED PAYMENTS MADE DURING 4 THE COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY. 5 Section 1815 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 6 1395g) is amended— 7 (1) in subsection (d), by inserting ‘‘subject to 8 subsection (f)(5),’’ after ‘‘determination,’’; and 9 (2) in subsection (f)(2)— 10 (A) in subparagraph (C), by inserting 11 ‘‘subject to paragraph (5),’’ before ‘‘the Sec- 12 retary’’; and 13 (B) by adding at the end the following new 14 paragraph: 15 ‘‘(5)(A) Upon the request of a hospital, the 16 Secretary may forgive the repayment, extend the 17 timeline of repayment described in subparagraph 18 (C)(i), and lower the interest rate of any accelerated 19 payment within 30 days of receiving such request if 20 such a hospital experiences significant financial 21 hardship. 22 ‘‘(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), ‘sig- 23 nificant financial hardship’ means, with respect to a 24 hospital, the existence of a serious chance of closure, 25 impending bankruptcy, large-scale layoffs, or any 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:12 Aug 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7759.IH H7759 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 7759 IH other situation the Secretary determines appro- 1 priate.’’. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:12 Aug 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H7759.IH H7759 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS