S.Amdt. 3740

SA 3740. Mr. MENENDEZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill H.R. 6157, making appropriations for the Department
of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place in title II of division B, insert
the following:

SEC. __. FAIRNESS IN MEDICARE HOSPITAL PAYMENTS.

(a) In General.--For discharges occurring on or after
October 1, 2018, the Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall (for purposes of determining the area wage index under
section 1886(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395ww(d)) reclassify any hospital located in New Jersey
whose area wage index increased for discharges in fiscal year
2018 by reason of the imputed floor policy under section
412.64(h) of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations (including
the policy under clause (vi) of such section) to a core-based
statistical area (CBSA) that has the same area wage index
that would have applied to the hospital if such imputed floor
policy had been permanently extended.
(b) Budget-neutral.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall implement subsection (a) in a budget-neutral
manner under section 1886(d) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395ww(d)).
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