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To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a floor on payments to sole community hospitals located in Alaska and Hawaii under the hospital outpatient prospective payment system.
Summary
This bill would establish a Medicare payment floor for sole community hospitals in Alaska and Hawaii under the hospital outpatient payment system. If these hospitals' Medicare payments fall below 94 percent of their reasonable operating costs, their payments would be increased to reach that floor. The additional payments would not be offset by reductions elsewhere in the Medicare payment system and would not affect patient copayment amounts. The Department of Health and Human Services would have 6 months to issue implementing regulations, effective for hospital services starting the following January 1st.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (R-AK)
2 cosponsors
- Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] (R-AK)
- Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Dan Sullivan’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Dan Sullivan → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Feb 12, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. · senate
- Feb 12, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 12, 2025
Mr. Sullivan (for himself, Mr. Schatz, and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a floor on payments to sole community hospitals located in Alaska and Hawaii under the hospital outpatient prospective payment system.
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 “Save our Lone Emergency Services Act” or the “SOLES Act”.
SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF SOLE COMMUNITY HOSPITALS LOCATED IN ALASKA AND HAWAII UNDER HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM.
Section 1833(t) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(23) Treatment of sole community hospitals located in alaska and hawaii.—
“(A) In general.—If the Secretary determines that the amount of payment under this subsection for covered OPD services furnished by a sole community hospital (as defined in section 1886(d)(5)(D)(iii)) that is located in Alaska or Hawaii is less than 94 percent of the reasonable costs (as defined in section 1861(v)) of the hospital providing such services, the amount of payment under this subsection shall be increased by the amount of such difference.
“(B) No effect on copayments.—Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to affect the copayment amount under paragraph (8).
“(C) Application without regard to budget neutrality.—The additional payments made under this paragraph—
“(i) shall not be considered an adjustment under paragraph (2)(E); and
“(ii) shall not be implemented in a budget neutral manner.
“(D) Rulemaking.—Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to carry out this paragraph, which shall be effective with respect to covered OPD services furnished on or after the first January 1 after such date.”. <all>
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