H.R. 1924

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a new criterion for the nonapplication of site-neutral payments to long-term care hospitals under the Medicare program.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · March 6, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Hern of Oklahoma · Committee: Committee on Ways and Means

Table of contents

• H.R. 1924
  • SEC. 1. Short title
  • SEC. 2. Establishing a new criterion for the nonapplication of site-neutral payments to long-term care hospitals under the Medicare program

SEC. 1. Short title

• This Act may be cited as the Securing Access to Care for Seniors in Critical Condition Act of 2025.

SEC. 2. Establishing a new criterion for the nonapplication of site-neutral payments to long-term care hospitals under the Medicare program

• Section 1886(m)(6)(A) of the Social Security Act () is amended— 42 U.S.C. 1395ww(m)(6)(A)
  • in clause (ii)(I), by striking or the ventilator criterion under clause (iv)and inserting , the ventilator criterion under clause (iv), or the high acuity criterion described in clause (v); and
    • (v) The criterion specified in this clause (in this paragraph referred to as the ) for a discharge from a long-term care hospital in a fiscal year is that— high acuity criterion
    • the discharge was assigned to a Medicare-Severity-Long-Term-Care-Diagnosis-Related-Group (MS-LTC-DRG) with a relative weight for such fiscal year that was equal to or greater than 0.8; and
    • the discharge occurred on or after October 1, 2026.
  • by adding at the end the following new clause: