Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Fair Competition for Hospitals Act of 2013”.
Fair Competition for Hospitals Act of 2013
A BILL
To provide for the treatment of certain hospitals under the Medicare program.
Sec. 2 Treatment of certain hospitals
Treatment—
In general— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, effective for discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2014, 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).
Hospital described— A hospital described in this paragraph is a hospital—
that is located in a core-based statistical area which is comprised of counties from more than 1 State;
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
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)).
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.