SOLES Act

The "Save our Lone Emergency Services Act" (SOLES Act) proposes an amendment to Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, specifically targeting Medicare's hospital outpatient prospective payment system. Its primary goal is to establish a payment floor for sole community hospitals located in Alaska and Hawaii. Under this bill, if the payment for covered outpatient department services furnished by these specific hospitals is determined to be less than 94 percent of their reasonable costs , the payment amount will be increased to cover that difference. This measure is designed to provide financial stability for critical healthcare providers in remote areas. Crucially, the legislation specifies that these additional payments will not affect patient copayment amounts and will be implemented without regard to budget neutrality , ensuring that the increased funding does not lead to cuts elsewhere in the system. The Secretary is directed to issue regulations within six months of enactment, with the provisions taking effect on the first January 1 thereafter.