February 25, 2026
Mr. Hoeven (for himself and Ms. Klobuchar) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to allow payments under the Medicare program for certain items and services furnished by off-campus outpatient departments of a provider to be determined under the prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act
.
Sec. 2. Allowing Medicare payments for certain items and services furnished by off-campus outpatient departments of a provider to be determined under the prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services
Section 1833(t)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)(1)(B)) is amended—
(1)
in clause (iv), by striking and
at the end;
(2)
in clause (v)—
(A)
by inserting before does not include
the following: subject to clause (vi),
; and
(B)
by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following new clause:
(vi)
includes, with respect to a year (beginning with 2027), any item or service—
(I)
that is furnished during such year by an off-campus outpatient department of a provider (as defined in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (21)); and
(II)
with respect to which the greatest total amount paid with respect to a physician specialty under the physician fee schedule under section 1848 for all such items or services furnished by physicians in such specialty during the previous year was less than $2,000,000.