ELIGIBILITY OF MERGED OR CONSOLIDATED HOSPITALS FOR PERIODIC INTERIM PAYMENTS.

SEC. 6021. ELIGIBILITY OF MERGED OR CONSOLIDATED HOSPITALS FOR PERIODIC INTERIM PAYMENTS. (a) In General.—Section 1815(e) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395g(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: “(4) A hospital created by the merger or consolidation of 2 or more hospitals or hospital campuses shall be eligible to receive periodic interim payment on the basis described in paragraph (1)(B) if— “(A) at least one of the hospitals or campuses received periodic interim payment on such basis prior to the merger or consolidation; and 103 STAT. 2167 “(B) the merging or consolidating hospitals or campuses would each meet the requirement of paragraph (1)(B)(i) if such hospitals or campuses were treated as independent hospitals for purposes of this title.”. (b) Effective Date.—The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to payments made for discharges occurring on or after the expiration of the 30-day period that begins on the date of the enactment of this Act, regardless of the date of the merger or consolidation involved.