HR
2249
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2249To provide for the treatment of certain hospitals
under the Medicare program.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESJune
21, 2011
Mr. MCKINLEY introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
A BILLTo
provide for the treatment of certain hospitals under the Medicare program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION
1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Fair Competition
for Hospitals Act of 2011'.
SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN HOSPITALS.
(1) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding any other provision
of law, effective for discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2011, for purposes
of making payments under section 1886(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395ww) to a hospital described in paragraph (2), the wage index that applies
to such hospital under such section shall be the highest wage index assigned to
hospitals in the core-based statistical area in which the hospital is located
(regardless of which State the hospital is located in) as a result of the application
of section 4410(a) of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (42 U.S.C. 1395ww note).
(2) HOSPITAL DESCRIBED- A hospital described in this paragraph is a hospital--
(A) that is located in a core-based statistical area which is comprised of counties
from more than 1 State;
(B) that is not located
in a core-based statistical area in which 1 or more hospitals are subject to the
minimum wage index under paragraph (h)(4) of section 412.64 of title 42, Code
of Federal Regulations; and
(C) that is not
located in a core-based statistical area in which the highest wage index described
in paragraph (1) applies to hospitals described in such paragraph under a State
reimbursement system under section 1814(b)(3) or 1886(c) of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395f(b)(3); 1395ww(c)).
(b) Rules- Any
increase in the wage index of a hospital as a result of the application of subsection
(a) shall be treated as the result of a decision of the Medicare Geographic Classification
Review Board under paragraph (10) of section 1886(d) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)) and subject to budget neutrality under paragraph (8)(D)
of such section.
END
