[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4877 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4877
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to revoke the unique
ability of the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations to deem hospitals to meet certain requirements under the
Medicare Program and to provide for greater accountability of the Joint
Commission to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 20, 2004
Mr. Stark introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to revoke the unique
ability of the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations to deem hospitals to meet certain requirements under the
Medicare Program and to provide for greater accountability of the Joint
Commission to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare Hospital Accreditation Act
of 2004''.
SEC. 2. REVOCATION OF UNIQUE DEEMING AUTHORITY OF THE JOINT COMMISSION
FOR THE ACCREDITATION OF HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS.
(a) Revocation.--Section 1865 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395bb) is amended--
(1) by striking subsection (a); and
(2) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e) as
subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d), respectively.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) Such section is further amended--
(A) in subsection (a)(1), as so redesignated, by striking
``In addition, if'' and inserting ``If'';
(B) in subsection (b), as so redesignated--
(i) by striking ``released to him by the Joint
Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals,'' and
inserting ``released to the Secretary by''; and
(ii) by striking the comma after ``Association'';
(C) in subsection (c), as so redesignated, by striking
``pursuant to subsection (a) or (b)(1)'' and inserting
``pursuant to subsection (a)(1)''; and
(D) in subsection (d), as so redesignated, by striking
``pursuant to subsection (a) or (b)(1)'' and inserting
``pursuant to subsection (a)(1)''.
(2) Section 1861(e) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(e)) is amended in
the fourth sentence by striking ``and (ii) is accredited by the Joint
Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals, or is accredited by or
approved by a program of the country in which such institution is
located if the Secretary finds the accreditation or comparable approval
standards of such program to be essentially equivalent to those of the
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals'' and inserting ``and
(ii) is accredited by a national accreditation body recognized by the
Secretary under section 1865(a), or is accredited by or approved by a
program of the country in which such institution is located if the
Secretary finds the accreditation or comparable approval standards of
such program to be essentially equivalent to those of such a national
accreditation body.''.
(3) Section 1864(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395aa(c)) is amended by
striking ``pursuant to subsection (a) or (b)(1) of section 1865'' and
inserting ``pursuant to section 1865(a)(1)''.
(4) Section 1875(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ll(b)) is amended by
striking ``the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals,'' and
inserting ``national accreditation bodies under section 1865(a)''.
(5) Section 1834(a)(20)(B) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(a)(20)(B))
is amended by striking ``section 1865(b)'' and inserting ``section
1865(a)''.
(6) Section 1852(e)(4)(C) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-22(e)(4)(C))
is amended by striking ``section 1865(b)(2)'' and inserting ``section
1865(a)(2)''.
(c) Authority To Recognize JCAHO as a National Accreditation
Body.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services may recognize the
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations as a
national accreditation body under section 1865 of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395bb), as amended by this section, upon such terms and
conditions, and upon submission of such information, as the Secretary
may require.
(d) Effective Date; Transition Rule.--(1) Subject to paragraph (2),
the amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to
accreditations of hospitals granted on or after the date that is 18
months after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) For purposes of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395 et seq.), the amendments made by this section shall not
effect the accreditation of a hospital by the Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, or under accreditation or
comparable approval standards found to be essentially equivalent to
accreditation or approval standards of the Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, for the period of time
applicable under such accreditation.
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