,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bgga  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #ae1 #bjai,mrs4 
,rodgers of ,washington 7for herself and
 ,mr4 ,loebsack7 introduced the         
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1
 and in addition to the ,committee on   
,ways and ,means1 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 direct the ,secretary of 
,health and ,human ,services to revise  
regulations with respect to payment     
rates for durable medical equipment     
under the ,medicare program1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,protecting    
,home ,oxygen and ,medical ,equipment   
,act of #bjai or the ,protecting ,,home 
,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,revising payment   
rates for durable medical equipment     
under the ,medicare program  7a7 ,rural 

and noncontiguous areas ,not later than 
,december #ca1 #bjbj1 the ,secretary of 
,health and ,human ,services shall      
revise section #dad4baj7;g77#i77;iii7 of
 title #db1 ,code of ,federal           
,regulations 7or any successor          
regulation71 to apply the transition    
rule described in such section to all   
applicable items and services furnished 
in rural areas and noncontiguous areas  
7as such terms are defined for purposes 
of such section7 on or after ,june #a1  
#bjah4  7b7 ,areas other than rural and 
noncontiguous areas ,with respect to    
items and services furnished on or after
 the date that is #cj days after the    
date of the enactment of this ,act1 the 
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services shall apply section           
#dad4baj7;g77#i77;iv7 of title #db1     
,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or any  
successor regulation71 as if the        
reference to #ajj percent of the        
adjusted payment amount established     
under this section were instead a       

reference to #ge percent of the adjusted
 payment amount established under this  
section and #be percent of the          
unadjusted fee schedule amount4  #c4    
,budget neutrality for oxygen under the 
,medicare program ,section              
#ahcd7;a77#i77;,d77ii7 of the ,social   
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciem7a77#i77;,d77ii77 is amended by   
adding at the end the following new     
sentence3 ,the requirement of the       
preceding sentence shall not apply      
beginning on ,january #a1 #bjbj44