Health Care Access and Rural Equity (H-CARE) Act of 2007

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to protect and preserve access of Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas to health care providers under the Medicare Program, and for other purposes.

6/26/2007--Introduced.
Health Care Access and Rural Equity (H-CARE) Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to:
(1) the Medicare disproportionate share hospital (DSH) adjustment for rural hospitals;
(2) payment for clinical laboratory tests furnished by critical access hospitals;
(3) rebasing for sole community hospitals;
(4) establishment of a rural community hospital program;
(5) hold harmless provisions for small rural hospitals and sole community hospitals under the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for hospital outpatient department services;
(6) coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance);
(7) permanent treatment of certain physician pathology services;
(8) extension of the Medicare incentive payment program for a physician scarcity area;
(9) proportional representation of rural area interests on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC); and
(10) additional payments for providers furnishing ambulance services in rural areas and prompt payment of clean claims by Medicare prescription drug plans and MedicareAdvantage-Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plans under the Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program). Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to extend:
(1) certain Medicare hospital wage index reclassifications and the disregarding of certain hospital reclassifications for purposes of group reclassifications;
(2) Medicare reasonable costs payments for certain clinical diagnostic laboratory tests furnished to hospital patients in certain rural areas; and
(3) the temporary Medicare payment increase for home health services furnished in a rural area. Amends the Public Health Service Act to:
(1) authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award competitive grants to eligible entities in rural areas for qualified health information technology systems;
(2) direct the Secretary to establish a Rural Health Quality Advisory Commission;
(3) provide for Delta Region rural disparities and health systems development, as well as small rural health care provider quality improvement grants; and
(4) provide for expanded application of the 340B program of limited drug prices to drugs provided in rural hospitals, including hospital provision to states of Medicaid credits on certain inpatient drugs. Directs the Secretary to encourage and facilitate the adoption of telehealth provisions allowing for multistate practitioner access across state lines.


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Sponsor

• Rep. Earl Pomeroy [D, ND-0]
• and 74 Co-Sponsors
  • Rep. Thomas Allen [D, ME-1]
  • Rep. Robert Berry [D, AR-1]
  • Rep. Sanford Bishop [D, GA-2]
  • Rep. Leonard Boswell [D, IA-3]
  • Rep. Frederick Boucher [D, VA-9]
  • Rep. F. Allen Boyd [D, FL-2]
  • Rep. Nancy Boyda [D, KS-2]
  • Rep. Bruce Braley [D, IA-1]
  • Rep. George Butterfield [D, NC-1]
  • Rep. David Camp [R, MI-4]
  • Rep. Christopher Carney [D, PA-10]
  • Rep. Ben Chandler [D, KY-6]
  • Rep. Artur Davis [D, AL-7]
  • Rep. Thomas Edwards [D, TX-17]
  • Rep. Jo Ann Emerson [R, MO-8]
  • Rep. Philip English [R, PA-3]
  • Rep. Bob Etheridge [D, NC-2]
  • Rep. Wayne Gilchrest [R, MD-1]
  • Rep. Virgil Goode [R, VA-5]
  • Rep. Barton Gordon [D, TN-6]
  • Rep. Samuel Graves [R, MO-6]
  • Rep. Phil Hare [D, IL-17]
  • Rep. Doc Hastings [R, WA-4]
  • Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin [D, SD-0]
  • Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D, NY-22]
  • Rep. Rubén Hinojosa [D, TX-15]
  • Rep. Mazie Hirono [D, HI-2]
  • Rep. Peter Hoekstra [R, MI-2]
  • Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee [D, TX-18]
  • Rep. Bobby Jindal [R, LA-1]
  • Rep. Walter Jones [R, NC-3]
  • Rep. Steve Kagen [D, WI-8]
  • Rep. Paul Kanjorski [D, PA-11]
  • Rep. Ronald Kind [D, WI-3]
  • Rep. Steve King [R, IA-5]
  • Rep. Ray LaHood [R, IL-18]
  • Rep. Rick Larsen [D, WA-2]
  • Rep. Thomas Latham [R, IA-4]
  • Rep. Frank Lucas [R, OK-3]
  • Rep. James Marshall [D, GA-8]
  • Rep. Jim Matheson [D, UT-2]
  • Rep. John McHugh [R, NY-23]
  • Rep. Mike McIntyre [D, NC-7]
  • Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers [R, WA-5]
  • Rep. Michael McNulty [D, NY-21]
  • Rep. Charles Melancon [D, LA-3]
  • Rep. Jerry Moran [R, KS-1]
  • Rep. James Oberstar [D, MN-8]
  • Rep. Ronald Paul [R, TX-14]
  • Rep. John Peterson [R, PA-5]
  • Rep. Collin Peterson [D, MN-7]
  • Rep. Charles Pickering [R, MS-3]
  • Rep. Nick Rahall [D, WV-3]
  • Rep. Dennis Rehberg [R, MT-0]
  • Rep. Rick Renzi [R, AZ-1]
  • Rep. Michael Rogers [R, AL-3]
  • Rep. Harold Rogers [R, KY-5]
  • Rep. Mike Ross [D, AR-4]
  • Rep. John Salazar [D, CO-3]
  • Rep. Carol Shea-Porter [D, NH-1]
  • Rep. Michael Simpson [R, ID-2]
  • Rep. Zackary Space [D, OH-18]
  • Rep. Bart Stupak [D, MI-1]
  • Rep. John Tanner [D, TN-8]
  • Rep. C. Michael Thompson [D, CA-1]
  • Rep. William Thornberry [R, TX-13]
  • Rep. Todd Tiahrt [R, KS-4]
  • Rep. Frederick Upton [R, MI-6]
  • Rep. Greg Walden [R, OR-2]
  • Rep. Timothy Walz [D, MN-1]
  • Rep. Peter Welch [D, VT-0]
  • Rep. Roger Wicker [R, MS-1]
  • Rep. Charles Wilson [D, OH-6]
  • Rep. Donald Young [R, AK-0]
  close

Committees

• House Energy and Commerce
• 2 more
  • House Energy and Commerce
  • House Ways and Means
  close

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to H.R.2860

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by House		Voted on by Senate		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
June 26, 2007

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All Bill Actions

• Jun 26, 2007: Referred to House Ways and Means
• Jun 26, 2007: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
• Jun 26, 2007: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
• Jun 26, 2007: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.
• Introduced on Jun 26, 2007.

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Related Issue Areas:

• Welfare
• Wages
• Transportation
• Telemedicine
• 40 more
• Telecommunication
• Technology
• Science policy
• Rural health
• Rural affairs
• Quality of care
• Prescription pricing
• Physicians
• Mental health services
• Medicine
• Medicare
• Medical tests
• Medical records
• Medical laboratories
• Medical fees
• Medical care
• Medicaid
• Marriage counseling
• Indexing (Economic policy)
• Hospitals
• Hospital rates
• Home care services
• Health maintenance organizations
• Health information systems
• Federal aid to health facilities
• Federal advisory bodies
• Families
• Executive departments
• Emergency medicine
• Emergency management
• Economic policy
• Drugs
• Data banks
• Case mix (Medical care)
• Budgets
• Ambulatory care
• Ambulances
• Aged
• Access to health care
• Health policy

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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In the News

July 05, 2007 Walden legislation would aid rural hospitals

HR 2860, the Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act (H-CARE), introduced by US Reps. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), co-chairs of the House ...

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Source: Dalles Chronicle, WA

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July 02, 2007 Walden co-sponsors rural health care bill

D.) - co-chairs of the House Rural Health Care Coalition (RHCC) - introduced HR 2860, the Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act (H-CARE). ...

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Source: KTVZ, OR

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Blog Coverage

October 24, 2007 CQ’s Carey Discusses SCHIP, Mental Health Parity, Postpartum ...

It was the original 9/11 that made the need for Mental Health awareness more . counselors took another step further on June 26, 2007, with the introduction of HR 2860, the Health Care Access and . More companies pulled advertising from ...

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Source: Health and Beauty Care

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September 09, 2007 UC Davis Receives More Than 21 Million Dollars To Find Treatments ...

To ... counselors took another step further on June 26, 2007, with the introduction of HR 2860, the Health Care Access and ... Bipartisan Legislation to Reimburse Mental Health Counselors under Medicare. The American Mental Health ...

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Source: HEALTHS CENTER NEW

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August 23, 2007 News: Comprehensive Rural Health Care Improvement Bill Unveiled

Congressmen Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and Greg Walden (R-OR) – co-chairs of the House Rural Health Care Coalition (RHCC) – today unveiled HR 2860 the Health Care find and Rural Equity Act (H-CARE). This bipartisan legislation which was ...

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Source: His Blog global

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