To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a frontier extended stay clinic demonstration project.

SA 1041. Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself and Mr. Stevens) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 1, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make improvements in the medicare program, to provide prescription drug coverage under the medicare program, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 529, between lines 8 and 9, insert the following:

SEC. 455. FRONTIER EXTENDED STAY CLINIC DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.

(a) Authority To Conduct Demonstration Project.--The Secretary shall waive such provisions of the medicare program established under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) as are necessary to conduct a demonstration project under which frontier extended stay clinics described in subsection (b) in isolated rural areas of Alaska are treated as providers of items and services under the medicare program.

(b) Clinics Described.--A frontier extended stay clinic is described in this subsection if the clinic--

(1) is located in a community where the closest short-term acute care hospital or critical access hospital is at least 75 miles away from the community or is inaccessible by public road; and

(2) is designed to address the needs of--

(A) seriously or critically ill or injured patients who, due to adverse weather conditions or other reasons, cannot be transferred quickly to acute care referral centers; or

(B) patients who need monitoring and observation for a limited period of time.

(c) Definitions.--In this section, the terms “hospital” and “critical access hospital” have the meanings given such terms in subsections (e) and (mm), respectively, of section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x).