A bipartisan group of senators has proposed AHA-supported legislation that would improve Medicare reimbursements to rural hospitals.

Sens. Kent Conrad, D-ND, Pat Roberts, R-KA, Tom Harkin, D-IA, and John Barasso, R-WY, last week introduced “The Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act,” S.1157, which would provide a temporary payment increase for hospitals with low-volume inpatient discharges.

The bill also would continue allowing direct payments to independent laboratories for the technical component of pathology services, and the 5% rural add-on payment for home health services.

In addition, the bill would extend the outpatient hold-harmless provision for sole community hospitals and rural hospitals with fewer than 100 beds, remove the cap on disproportionate share adjustment percentages for all hospitals and improve payments for ambulance services in rural areas.