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Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act of 2003

Introduced: April 8, 2003 See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 8, 2003
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Apr 8, 2003
Introduced in Senate
Apr 8, 2003
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4962-4963)
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to make a variety of changes with regard to rural health care and such matters as: (1) urban and rural standardized payment amounts under the Medicare inpatient hospital prospective payment system (PPS); (2) disproportionate share hospital (DSH) adjustment for rural hospitals; (3) payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals; (4) adjustment to the Medicare inpatient hospital PPS wage index to revise the labor-related share of such index; (5) treatment of certain sole community hospitals to limit the decline in payment under the PPS for hospital outpatient department services; (6) the critical access hospital program; and (7) permanent treatment of certain physician pathology services under Medicare.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish and use alternative guidelines for geographic reclassification of certain hospitals located in sparsely populated States.

Amends the Public Health Service Act to give the Secretary the authority to make and guarantee loans from the loan fund to any rural entity for projects for capital improvements.

Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for a five-year extension of the authorization for appropriations for certain Medicare rural grants.

What's happening now April 8, 2003

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 5
All 5 Democratic 2 Republican 3
R
Crapo, Mike
Idaho · Jun 4, 2003
 R
Collins, Susan M.
Maine · Apr 28, 2003
 D
Cantwell, Maria
Washington · Apr 8, 2003
 R
Grassley, Chuck
Iowa · Apr 8, 2003
 D
Murray, Patty
Washington · Apr 8, 2003
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 816: Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act of 2003. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-816/
MLA
"S. 816: Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act of 2003." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-816/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 816, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-816/.
Markdown link
[S. 816: Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act of 2003](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-816/)
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