Including blood contamination as a hospital acquired condition under the Medicare program

Section 1886(p) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1305ww(p)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (3)— (A) by striking means a condition and inserting the following: means— (A) a condition; (B) by striking subsection (d)(4)(D)(iv) and any and inserting the following: subsection (d)(4)(D)(iv); (C) any; and (C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new subparagraph: (B) with respect to discharges occurring during fiscal year 2026 or a subsequent fiscal year, blood culture contamination; and; (2) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8); and (3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following new paragraph: (7) Blood culture contamination measure In establishing a measure for blood culture contamination for a subsection (d) hospital for purposes of determining whether such hospital is an applicable hospital under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall so establish such a measure on the basis that the rate of such contamination should not exceed 1 percent..