H.R. 1209 — what changed

Section 332 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(k)

changed “(1) The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall designate identify, based on the data collected under paragraph (3), maternity care health professional shortage target areas in that satisfy the States and at least annually thereafter review and, as necessary, revise criteria described in paragraph (2) for purposes of, in connection with receipt of assistance under this title, assigning to such designations.identified areas maternity care health professionals who, without application of this subsection, would otherwise be eligible for such assistance. The Secretary shall distribute maternity care health professionals within health professional shortage areas using the maternity care health professional target areas so identified.

changed “(2) In carrying out For purposes of paragraph (1), and in applying subsection (b) pursuant to paragraph (4), the Secretary shall seek input from relevant provider organizations, including medical societies, organizations representing medical facilities, and other organizations with expertise in establish criteria for maternity care.care health professional target areas that identify geographic areas within health professional shortage areas that have a shortage of maternity care health professionals.

changed “(3) In applying subsection (d), pursuant to paragraph (4), For purposes of this subsection, the Secretary shall collect and publish in the Federal Register data on health care professional shortage areas based on professional category comparing the availability and need of maternal health professionals providing full scope maternity health care by provider type as well as geographic region. Such data shall be presented health services in a manner to compare availability health professional shortage areas and need of such professionals by in areas within such health professional category and geographic region.shortage areas.

changed “(4) The provisions of subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), and (j) (other than (j)(1)(B)) of this section shall apply to In carrying out paragraph (1), the designation of a maternity care health professional shortage area under this subsection in a similar manner Secretary shall seek input from relevant provider organizations, including medical societies, organizations representing medical facilities, and extent as such provisions apply to the designation of health professional shortage areas under subsection (a), except—other organizations with expertise in maternity care.

changed “(A) in applying subsection (b)(3), the reference in such subsection to “physicians” shall be deemed to be a reference to physicians and other health professionals as providing maternity care eligible for loan repayment under “(5) For purposes of this part who provide subsection, the term full scope maternity care;care health services includes during labor care, birthing, prenatal care, and postpartum care.

changed “(B) “(6) Nothing in applying this subsection (d)—shall be construed as—

changed “(i) “(A) requiring the reference in paragraph (2) of such subsection to “July 1 identification of 1991” shall be deemed to be a reference to “July 1 of 2016”; andmaternity care health professional target area in an area not otherwise already designated as a health professional shortage area; or

changed “(ii) “(B) affecting the descriptive list required under such paragraph, with respect to a maternity care types of health professional shortage area designated under paragraph (1), shall include—professionals, without application of this subsection, otherwise eligible for assistance, including a loan repayment or scholarship, pursuant to the application of this section.”

removed “(I) population groups in the area that would benefit from full scope maternity care health services; and

removed “(II) the providers and medical facilities that provide such services to such groups in such area; and

removed “(C) in applying such provisions of subsections (b), (c), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), and (j), a reference to an area, population group, or facility shall be deemed to be a reference to an area or population group described in paragraph (5).

removed “(5) For purposes of this subsection:

removed “(A) The term ‘maternity care health professional shortage area’ means—

removed “(i) an area in an urban or rural area (which need not conform to the geographic boundaries of a political subdivision and which is a rational area for the delivery of health services) which the Secretary determines has a shortage of providers of full scope maternity care health services;

removed “(ii) an area in an urban or rural area (which need not conform to the geographic boundaries of a political subdivision and which is a rational area for the delivery of health services) which the Secretary determines has a shortage of hospital or birth center labor and delivery units; or

removed “(iii) a population group which the Secretary determines has such a shortage of maternal providers or facilities.

removed “(B) The term full scope maternity care health services includes during labor care, birthing, prenatal care, and postpartum care.

removed “(C) The term medical facility has the meaning given such term in subsection (a)(2) and includes a freestanding birth center, as defined in section 1905(l)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act.”