119-hr3778

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3778 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3778

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to update the fee 
 schedule for ambulance services provided by critical access hospitals.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 5, 2025

 Mrs. Miller of West Virginia (for herself and Ms. Lofgren) introduced 
 the following bill; which was 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

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to update the fee 
 schedule for ambulance services provided by critical access hospitals.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Preserving Emergency Access in Key 
Sites Act'' or the ``PEAKS Act''.

SEC. 2. UPDATE TO FEE SCHEDULE FOR AMBULANCE SERVICES PROVIDED BY 
 CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITALS.

 

Section 1834
            (l) (8) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395m
            (l) (8) ) is amended in the flush left text following subparagraph
        (B) by inserting ``(or, in the case of mountainous terrain or in areas 
with only secondary roads available, a 15-mile drive)'' after ``35-mile 
drive''.

SEC. 3. TREATMENT OF HOSPITALS THAT MET MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OR 
 SECONDARY ROADS DISTANCE REQUIREMENT FOR DESIGNATION AS 
 CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL.

 

Section 1820

    (h) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-4

    (h) ) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
 ``

    (4) Treatment of hospitals that met mountainous terrain 
 or secondary roads distance requirements for designation.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--Beginning January 1, 2026, in 
 the case of a hospital described in subparagraph
        (B) , 
 such hospital shall be deemed to meet the 15-mile 
 distance requirement for mountainous terrain or 
 secondary roads described in subsection
            (c) (2)
        (B)
            (i) 
            (I) .
 ``
        (B) Hospital described.--A hospital described in 
 this subparagraph is a hospital that--
 ``
            (i) as of the date of enactment of this 
 paragraph, is designated as a critical access 
 hospital;
 ``
            (ii) demonstrates (in a manner determined 
 by the Secretary) that the hospital met the 15-
 mile distance requirement for mountainous 
 terrain or secondary roads described in 
 subsection
            (c) (2)
        (B)
            (i) 
            (I) as of the hospital's 
 last certification as a critical access 
 hospital; and
 ``
            (iii) after such date of enactment, has a 
 new hospital or other facility described in 
 this subsection that is located not less than 
 10, but no more than 15, miles from the 
 hospital.
 ``
            (C) Regulations.--Not later than 1 year after the 
 date of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary 
 shall promulgate regulations to carry out this 
 paragraph.''.
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