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This bill would make it easier for rural health facilities to become critical access hospitals under Medicare rules. It removes the current mileage limits that can block a rural facility from getting that status, giving states more flexibility to support local hospitals and keep care available in rural communities.
- States could designate rural facilities as critical access hospitals even if they do not meet the usual mileage requirements.
- The bill changes the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, which helps small rural hospitals stay open and serve nearby residents.
- The new rule would apply to designations or redesignations made on or after the date the bill becomes law.
- It also makes sure earlier redesignations made before the law takes effect are treated under the old rules.
Official Summaries
Rural Health Care Access Act of 2025
This bill eliminates certain criteria that hospitals must meet in order to qualify as critical access hospitals that receive special payment under Medicare.
Specifically, the bill eliminates the requirement that a hospital must either (1) be located more than 35 miles (15 miles in mountainous regions or areas with only secondary roads) from another hospital, or (2) have been certified prior to January 1, 2006, by the state as a necessary provider of services in the area.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 771 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 771
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit States to
designate without any mileage limitations facilities that are located
in rural areas as critical access hospitals.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 28, 2025
Mr. Green of Tennessee (for himself, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr.
Jackson of Texas, and Mrs. Miller of Illinois) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit States to
designate without any mileage limitations facilities that are located
in rural areas as critical access hospitals.
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 ``Rural Health Care Access Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. MEDICARE RURAL HOSPITAL FLEXIBILITY PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 1820 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395i-4) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)(2)(B)(i)--
(A) by striking ``, and that--'' and inserting a
semicolon; and
(B) by striking subclauses (I) and (II); and
(2) in subsection (h)(3), by inserting ``made before the
date of the enactment of the Rural Health Care Access Act of
2025'' after ``any redesignation''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a)(1) shall
apply with respect to any designation or redesignation made on or after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
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