Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 117.djvu/2358

 PUBLIC LAW 108–173—DEC. 8, 2003

117 STAT. 2339

(B) the value of collecting such information by small home health agencies compared to the administrative burden related to such collection. In conducting the study the Secretary shall obtain recommendations from quality assessment experts in the use of such information and the necessity of small, as well as large, home health agencies collecting such information. (2) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under paragraph (1) by not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. (d) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing home health agencies from collecting non-medicare/ medicaid OASIS information for their own use. SEC. 705. MEDPAC STUDY ON MEDICARE MARGINS OF HOME HEALTH AGENCIES.

(a) STUDY.—The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission shall conduct a study of payment margins of home health agencies under the home health prospective payment system under section 1895 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395fff). Such study shall examine whether systematic differences in payment margins are related to differences in case mix (as measured by home health resource groups (HHRGs)) among such agencies. The study shall use the partial or full-year cost reports filed by home health agencies. (b) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the study under subsection (a).

Deadline.

42 USC 1395fff note.

Deadline.

SEC. 706. COVERAGE OF RELIGIOUS NONMEDICAL HEALTH CARE INSTITUTION SERVICES FURNISHED IN THE HOME.

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1821(a) (42 U.S.C. 1395i–5(a)) is amended— (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and for home health services furnished an individual by a religious nonmedical health care institution’’ after ‘‘religious nonmedical health care institution’’; and (2) in paragraph (2)— (A) by striking ‘‘or extended care services’’ and inserting ‘‘, extended care services, or home health services’’; and (B) by inserting ‘‘, or receiving services from a home health agency,’’ after ‘‘skilled nursing facility’’. (b) DEFINITION.—Section 1861 (42 U.S.C. 1395x), as amended by section 642, is amended by adding at the end the following new section: ‘‘Extended Care in Religious Nonmedical Health Care Institutions ‘‘(aaa)(1) The term ‘home health agency’ also includes a religious nonmedical health care institution (as defined in subsection (ss)(1)), but only with respect to items and services ordinarily furnished by such an institution to individuals in their homes, and that are comparable to items and services furnished to individuals by a home health agency that is not religious nonmedical health care institution.

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