II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1534 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 10, 2023 Mr. Schatz (for himself, Ms. Murkowski , Ms. Hirono , and Mr. Sullivan ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make adjustments to payment rates for skilled nursing facilities under the Medicare program to account for certain unique circumstances.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Equitable Payments for Nursing Facilities Act of 2023 . 2. Authorizing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make adjustments to payment rates for skilled nursing facilities under the Medicare program to account for certain unique circumstances Section 1888(e)(4)(G) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395yy(e)(4)(G) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new clause: (iv) Adjustment for unique circumstances The Secretary may provide for such adjustments as determined appropriate by the Secretary to take into account the unique circumstances of skilled nursing facilities located in Alaska or Hawaii. .