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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 9, 2009
Rural Hospital Assistance Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the additional inpatient hospital service payment (payment adjustment) for low-volume hospitals (usually meaning a "subsection (d) hospital" located more than 25 road miles from another subsection (d) hospital and having less than 800 discharges during the fiscal year.)
(Generally, a subsection (d) hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)
Redefines low-volume hospital, for discharges occurring during FY2009 only, as a subsection (d) hospital located more than 15 (instead of 25) road miles from another subsection (d) hospital and having less than 1,500 (instead of 800) discharges of individuals entitled to, or enrolled for, Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) benefits ("tweeners,'' or hospitals too large to be critical access hospitals, but too small to be financially viable under the Medicare hospital prospective payment system (PPS)).
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Revises, for FY2010 only, the temporary applicable percentage in the formula for determining the payment adjustment for such hospitals.
Requires the use of the non-wage adjusted prospective payment rate (PPS) rate during FY2010 under the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program.
Prescribes requirements for hospitals to qualify for a Medicare hospital exception to the prohibition on certain physician referrals to hospitals in which such physicians have an ownership or investment interest in the entity. (Eliminates the Medicare hospital exception for physician-owned hospitals, but provides a limited exception for existing facilities.)
People & committees
Rep. Boswell, Leonard L. [D-IA-3] · D–IA
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Referred to House Energy and Commerce
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to House Ways and Means
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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