Sustaining Healthcare Integrity and Fair Treatment Act of 2016

Sustaining Healthcare Integrity and Fair Treatment Act of 2016

This bill amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, among other Acts, to modify provisions related to long-term care hospital (LTCH) payments under Medicare.

(Sec. 101) The bill amends the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 to revise the applicability of certain Medicare payment rules exempting LTCHs from negative payment adjustments for admissions from certain co-located hospitals beyond specified thresholds. These rules shall apply for an additional period beginning on October 1, 2016.

(Sec. 102) In addition, the bill amends the Pathway for SGR Reform Act of 2013 to expand to all LTCHs the application of a payment rule that requires the exclusion of certain patients for purposes of calculating length of stay. Under current law, the payment rule applies only to a hospital that was classified as an LTCH as of a specified date.

(Sec. 103) The bill removes certain hospitals specializing in neoplastic disease from their classification as LTCHs for purposes of Medicare payment.

(Sec. 104) With specified exceptions, current law applies certain payment limits to inpatient services for LTCHs that do not meet specified discharge requirements. The bill: (1) establishes a new temporary exception to these limits for certain spinal cord specialty hospitals, and (2) expands an existing temporary exception with respect to certain discharges involving severe wounds.

(Sec. 201) Current law allows the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to impose a temporary moratorium on the enrollment of new providers under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) if necessary to combat fraud, waste, or abuse. With specified exceptions, the bill prohibits payment under these programs to new providers in areas subject to such temporary moratorium.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov