Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Rural Access to Hospice Act of 2017”.
Rural Access to Hospice Act of 2017
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for payments for certain rural health clinic and Federally qualified health center services furnished to hospice patients under the Medicare program.
Sec. 2 Medicare payment for certain rural health clinic and Federally qualified health center services furnished to hospice patients
in subparagraph (A)—
in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking “subparagraphs (B) and (C)” and inserting “the succeeding provisions of this paragraph”;
in clause (ii)(II), by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting a period; and
by striking the flush matter following clause (ii)(II); and
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(E) Subparagraph (A)(ii) shall not apply to—
“(i) physicians' services furnished by the individual's attending physician (as defined in section 1861(dd)(3)(B)), if not an employee of the hospice program;
“(ii) services provided by (or under arrangements made by) the hospice program; or
“(iii) rural health clinic services (as defined in paragraph (1) of section 1861(aa)) and Federally qualified health center services (as defined in paragraph (3) of such section) if such services—
“(I) would otherwise be physicians' services if furnished by an individual not affiliated with a rural health clinic (as defined in paragraph (2) of such section) or a Federally qualified health center (as defined in paragraph (4) of such section); and
“(II) are—
“(aa) furnished by the individual's attending physician (as so defined), if not an employee of the hospice program; or
“(bb) provided under arrangements made by the hospice program.”
Effective date— The amendments made by this section shall apply to services furnished on or after the date that is six months after the date of the enactment of this Act.