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HR 5498 115th Congress House

Rural Hospital Frontier Fairness Act

Official title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend the floor on the area wage index under the inpatient prospective payment system to certain sole commu… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend the floor on the area wage index under the inpatient prospective payment system to certain sole community hospitals and to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide eligibility for certain sole community hospitals to discounted drug prices under the 340B drug pricing program.

Introduced: April 12, 2018 See on congress.gov
Health Health care costs and insuranceHealth facilities and institutionsHealth personnelHospital care
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Inflation and pricesPrescription drugsWages and earnings
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This bill died when the 115th Congress ended
It never became law before the 115th Congress (2017–2018) 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 18, 2018
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Apr 12, 2018
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.
Apr 12, 2018
Introduced in House
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 Latest action April 18, 2018

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Rural Hospital Frontier Fairness Act

This bill alters the Medicare prospective payment system for inpatient hospital services furnished at sole community hospitals (i.e., rural hospitals or hospitals that are the sole source of inpatient care in a certain geographic area). Specifically, the bill applies a minimum area wage adjustment to payments to sole community hospitals that are located up to 75 miles from the closest frontier (i.e., predominantly rural) state. Currently, the minimum area wage adjustment applies only to hospitals in frontier states.

The bill also amends the Public Health Service Act to allow such sole community hospitals to participate in the 340B drug pricing program (i.e., a program that allows entities to receive covered outpatient drugs at reduced prices from manufacturers).

 Related & companion bills 1
  • HR 1323 Reintroduced Bill Rural Hospital Frontier Fairness Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5498: Rural Hospital Frontier Fairness Act. 115th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-5498/
MLA
"H.R. 5498: Rural Hospital Frontier Fairness Act." 115th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-5498/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5498, 115th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-5498/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5498: Rural Hospital Frontier Fairness Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-5498/)
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