To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit classification of certain hospitals as rural referral centers, to permit reclassification of certain hospitals for disproportionate share payments, and to permit sole community hospitals to rebase Medicare payments based upon fiscal year 1994 and 1995 costs.
Rural Health Care Protection Act of 1997 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, with respect to a hospital which has ever been classified as a rural referral center, to prohibit denial of a request for its reclassification on the basis of any comparison between its average hourly wage and the average hourly wages of hospitals in the area in which it is located. Declares that any hospital classified as a rural referral center by the Secretary of Health and Human Services for FY 1991 shall be so classified for FY 1998 and each subsequent fiscal year.
Permits hospital geographic reclassification for purposes of disproportionate share payment adjustments. Permits rebasing of Medicare payment for sole community hospitals using FY 1994 and 1995 costs.
Disapproval bill introduced in House: H.R. 2436.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
See H.R.2015.
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