,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ecic  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,august #a1 #bjad    
,mr4 ,reed 7for himself and ,mr4        
,thompson of ,california7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was referred to  
the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 and 
in addition to the ,committee on ,energy
 and ,commerce1 for a period to be      
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 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 provide   
for required ,medicare hospice program  
surveys1 and for other purposes4  #a    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,hospice ,opportunities for         
,supporting ,patients with ,integrity   
and ,care ,evaluations 7,,hospice7 ,act 
of #bjad4  #b4 ,hospice survey          
requirement  7a7 ,in general ,section   
#ahfa7;dd77#d7 of the ,social ,security 
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7dd77#d77 is  

amended by adding at the end the        
following new subparagraph3  7c7 ,any   
entity that is certified as a hospice   
program shall be subject to a standard  
survey by an appropriate ,state or local
 survey agency1 or an approved          
accreditation agency1 as determined by  
the ,secretary1 not less frequently than
 once every #cf months beginning #f     
months after the date of the enactment  
of this subparagraph4  4  7b7 ,funding  
,for purposes of carrying out           
subparagraph 7,c7 of section            
#ahfa7;dd77#d7 of the ,social ,security 
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7dd77#d771 as 
added by subsection 7a71 there shall be 
transferred from the ,federal ,hospital 
,insurance ,trust ,fund under section   
#ahag of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4       
#acie;i7 #be1jjj1jjj for the period of  
fiscal years #bjad through #bjaf1 to be 
made available for such purposes in     
equal parts for each such fiscal year4  
#c4 ,hospice program eligibility        
recertification technical correction to 

apply limitation on liability of        
beneficiary rules ,section #ahgi of the 
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#aciepp7 is amended by adding at the end
 the following new subsection3  7,i7    
,the provisions of this section shall   
apply with respect to a denial of a     
payment under this title by reason of   
section #ahad7;a77#g77;,d77ii7 in the   
same manner as such provisions apply    
with respect to a denial of a payment   
under this title by reason of section   
#ahfb7;a77#a74  4