Landrieu and Vitter Introduce DSH Reporting and Auditing Rule Legislation - February 17, 2010

Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and David Vitter (R-LA) have introduced legislation (S. 2894) to protect safety net hospitals by compelling the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) to reissue a rule implementing Disproportionate Share Hospital payment auditing and reporting requirements. The current rule would change the definition of DSH allowable costs, significantly reducing DSH payments to some hospitals. The legislation would order CMS to reissue the rule, implementing only the auditing and reporting requirements mandated by law and excluding any policy changes to DSH. The Senate bill is an identical companion to legislation H.R. 4250 introduced by Rep. Charles Melancon (D-LA) last year. NAPH strongly supports the legislation and urges hospitals to encourage their members of Congress to cosponsor the bills.