§1395hhh Health Care Infrastructure Improvement Program

Summary

Creates a loan program that lets qualifying hospitals borrow money to pay for big projects that improve their health care buildings and equipment. Hospitals must apply in the way the Secretary requires. The Secretary sets who gets loans, favoring projects that are important for the nation or region or that give clear medical benefits. A qualifying hospital is one that does cancer research and is either a National Cancer Institute–designated cancer center or was named the official state cancer institute by the State legislature before December 8, 2003. A qualifying entity may also be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has at least one agreement with a hospital in its State and offers on-site outpatient cancer care, lab research, and education/outreach in the same facility. Covered projects include construction, renovation, or other capital improvements. Loans do not remove the need for any State or local permits, do not override State or local rules about returns on private investments, and do not replace State or local laws. The Secretary may forgive loans under rules like those used for some student loans, but only if the hospital creates outreach programs that serve most residents of a State or region (including rural areas), serve multiple Indian tribes, and either has unique research resources or partners with an entity that does. Congress provided $200,000,000 for the program, available from July 1, 2004, through September 30, 2008, and up to $2,000,000 per fiscal year 2004–2008 may be used for administration. The Secretary must report to Congress on loan projects and say whether the program should continue beyond fiscal year 2008 not later than 4 years after December 8, 2003. The Secretary’s decisions under the program cannot be reviewed by administrative or judicial bodies.