,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aiee  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #e1 #bjag,mr4 
,reed 7for himself and ,mr4 ,welch7     
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,ways and
 ,means  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title     
,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act to
 make permanent the extension of the    
,medicare-dependent hospital 7,,mdh7    
program and the increased payments under
 the ,medicare low-volume hospital      
program4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act   
may be cited as the ,rural ,hospital    
,access ,act of #bjag4  #b4 ,extension  
of the ,medicare-dependent hospital     
7,,mdh7 program  7a7 ,extension of      
payment methodology ,section            
#ahhf7;d77#e77;,g7 of the ,social       
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#acieww7d77#e77;,g77 is amended--  7#a7 
in clause 7i71 by striking 1 and before 
,october #a1 #bjag2 and  7#b7 in clause 
7ii77,,ii71 by striking 1 and before    
,october #a1 #bjag4  7b7 ,conforming    

amendments  7#a7 ,extension of target   
amount ,section #ahhf7;b77#c77;,d7 of   
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #acieww7b77#c77;,d77 is       
amended-- 7,a7 in the matter preceding  
clause 7i71 by striking 1 and before    
,october #a1 #bjag2 and  7,b7 in clause 
7iv71 by striking through fiscal year   
#bjag and inserting or a subsequent     
fiscal year4  7#b7 ,permitting hospitals
 to decline reclassification ,section   
#aceja7;e77#b7 of the ,omnibus ,budget  
,reconciliation ,act of #aiic 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #acieww note7 is amended by   
striking fiscal year #bjjj through      
fiscal year #bjag and inserting a       
subsequent fiscal year4  #c4 ,extension 
of the increased payments under the     
,medicare ,low-,volume ,hospital        
,program ,section #ahhf7;d77#ab7 of the 
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#acieww7d77#ab77 is amended-- 7#a7 in   
subparagraph 7,b7--  7,a7 in the        
heading1 by inserting for fiscal years  
#bjje through #bjaj after increase2 and 

7,b7 in the matter preceding clause 7i71
 by striking and for discharges         
occurring in fiscal year #bjah and      
subsequent fiscal years2  7#b7 in       
subparagraph 7,c77i7-- 7,a7 by striking 
fiscal years #bjaa through #bjag each   
place it appears and inserting fiscal   
year #bjaa and each subsequent year2 and
  7,b7 by striking or portion of fiscal 
year2 and  7#c7 in subparagraph 7,d7--  
7,a7 in the heading1 by striking        
,temporary applicable percentage        
increase and inserting applicable       
percentage increase beginning with      
fiscal year #bjaa2  7,b7 by striking    
fiscal years #bjaa through #bjag1 and   
inserting fiscal year #bjaa and each    
subsequent fiscal year2 and  7,c7 by    
striking or the portion of fiscal year  
each place it appears4