S. 712: Rural Medicare Equity Act of 2009

111th Congress · introduced 2009-03-26 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3899-3900)

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2009-03-26 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3899-3900) Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Rural Medicare Equity Act of 2009

Plain summary

Rural Medicare Equity Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to eliminate the geographic physician work adjustment factor from the geographic indices used to adjust payments under the physician fee schedule. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a demonstration grants project designed to provide financial or other incentives to hospitals to attract educators and clinical practitioners so that hospitals that serve Medicare beneficiaries residing in underserved areas may host clinical rotations. Directs the Secretary to establish up to 10 demonstration projects to provide for improvements, as recommended by the Institute of Medicine, in the quality of health care provided to individuals residing in rural areas. Amends SSA title XVIII to require proportional representation of rural area interests on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC). Directs the Secretary to implement the recommendations contained in the March 2005 GAO report 05-119 entitled "Medicare Physician Fees: Geographic Adjustment Indices are Valid in Design, but Data and Methods Need Refinement."

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Yea” vote

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Rural Medicare Equity Act of 2009

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Susan M. Collins (R-ME)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

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Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s712.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s712 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111