PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · May 9, 2002
Improving Our Well-Being Act of 2002 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise the Medicare payment rate for hospitals in areas other than large urban areas to reflect the full market basket increase without the 0.55 percentage point reduction currently required.Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) to: (1) equalize urban and rural standardized payments under the Medicare Inpatient Hospital Prospective Payment System; and (2) increase payments for certain services furnished by small rural hospitals and services that benefit low-volume hospitals.Revises provisions, reimbursement procedures, payments, and ambulance services for specified hospitals.Requires the Secretary to pay the reasonable cost of home health services expended by certain home health agencies and increase the Medicare reimbursement rate for rural health clinics.Extends an increase for medicare home health services furnished in rural areas and the availability of medicare cost contracts for medicare beneficiaries.Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary to make grants to States to improve dental services to children enrolled in a State plan under title XIX (Medicaid) or title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP).Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program for eligible entities and individuals (including Indian tribes) to expand the availability of primary dental care services where necessary. Revises the process for designating dental health professional shortage areas.Directs the Secretary to establish demonstration projects to increase access to dental services for children in underserved areas.
People & committees
Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · R–IA
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1336-1337)
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 19, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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