Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act”.
Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to revise certain physician self-referral exemptions relating to physician-owned hospitals.
Sec. 2 Revising certain physician self-referral exemptions relating to physician-owned hospitals
in subsection (d)—
in paragraph (2)(C), by inserting “(other than a covered rural hospital (as defined in subsection (h)))” after “a hospital”; and
in paragraph (3)(D), by inserting “in the case of a hospital other than a covered rural hospital (as defined in subsection (h)),” before “the hospital”; and
in subsection (h), by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(8) Covered rural hospital—The term “covered rural hospital” means a hospital that—
“(A) is located in a rural area (as defined in section 1886(d)(2)(D)); and
“(B) as of the date that such hospital enrolls under this title, is located more than a 35-mile drive (or, in the case of mountainous terrain or in areas with only secondary roads available, a 15-mile drive) from a hospital or a critical access hospital.”
Allowing for expansion of existing physician-Owned hospitals— Section 1877(i) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395nn(i)) is amended—
in paragraph (1)(B), by striking “in paragraph (3)” and inserting “in paragraph (3) or (7)”; and
by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(7) Sunset of expansion prohibition—The requirement described in paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply beginning on the date of the enactment of this paragraph.”