Critical Access Hospital Ambulance Payment Reform Act of 2005

Critical Access Hospital Ambulance Payment Reform Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to mandatory payment by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, under part B (supplementary medical insurance) benefits, of the reasonable costs of furnishing ambulance services incurred by an entity owned and operated by a critical access hospital.

Extends such payment to services provided by such an entity under an arrangement with the hospital.

Repeals the requirement that the critical access hospital or entity be the only provider or supplier of ambulance services within a 35-mile drive of the critical access hospital.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4269 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4269

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for cost-
 based reimbursement for ambulance services furnished directly by, or 
          under arrangements with, a critical access hospital.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 9, 2005

  Mr. Gordon introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
   Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for cost-
 based reimbursement for ambulance services furnished directly by, or 
          under arrangements with, a critical access hospital.

    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 ``Critical Access Hospital Ambulance 
Payment Reform Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. COST-BASED CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL AMBULANCE SERVICES CHANGES.

    (a) In General.--Section 1834(l)(8) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395m(l)(8)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (B)--
                    (A) by striking ``owned and''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``(including when such services 
                are provided by the entity under an arrangement with 
                the hospital)'' after ``hospital''; and
            (2) by striking the comma at the end of subparagraph (B) 
        and all that follows and inserting the period.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to services furnished on or after January 1, 2006.
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