S. 1624

PATCH Act

Shown here: Introduced in Senate (2025-05-06)

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a floor on the work geographic index for physicians' services furnished in Hawaii.

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the “Protecting Access To Care in Hawaii Act” or the “PATCH Act”.

2. Floor on work geographic index for physicians' services furnished in Hawaii

Section 1848(e) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–4(e)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1)(A), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking “and (I)” and inserting “(I), and (J)”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

(J) Floor on work geographic index for services furnished in Hawaii
For purposes of payment for services furnished in Hawaii on or after January 1, 2026, after calculating the work geographic index in subparagraph (A)(iii), the Secretary shall increase the work geographic index to 1.5 if such index would otherwise be less than 1.5. The preceding sentence shall not be applied in a budget neutral manner.

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