[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5189 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5189

   To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to waive certain 
 distance requirements for certain hospitals electing to be designated 
                     as critical access hospitals.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 25, 2024

 Mrs. Fischer 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 waive certain 
 distance requirements for certain hospitals electing to be designated 
                     as critical access hospitals.

    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 ``Supporting Access to Rural Community 
Hospitals Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. WAIVING CERTAIN DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN HOSPITALS 
              ELECTING TO BE DESIGNATED AS CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITALS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1820(c)(2)(B)(i) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-4(c)(2)(B)(i)) is amended--
            (1) in subclause (I), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in subclause (II), by adding ``or'' at the end; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subclause:
                                    ``(III) with respect to 
                                designations occurring during the 1-
                                year period beginning on the date that 
                                is 6 months after the date of the 
                                enactment of this subclause, is a rural 
                                community hospital (as defined in 
                                subsection (f) of section 410A of the 
                                Medicare Prescription Drug, 
                                Improvement, and Modernization Act of 
                                2003) that was participating in the 
                                demonstration program established under 
                                such section as of such date of 
                                enactment.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 410A(f)(1)(A)(iv) of the 
Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 
(42 U.S.C. 1395ww note) is amended by striking ``is not'' and all that 
follows through the period and inserting ``is not a critical access 
hospital (as defined in section 1861(mm)(1) of the Social Security 
Act).''.
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