This bill establishes and otherwise modifies payment requirements for rural health care providers under Medicare and Medicaid.
For example, the bill allows additional hospitals to qualify as critical access hospitals (CAHs) that receive special payment under Medicare. A hospital may qualify if it is a small, rural hospital that (1) serves a health professional shortage area, or a high number of low-income individuals or Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries; (2) has experienced financial losses for two consecutive years; and (3) attests to having a strategic plan to address financial solvency.
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In addition, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation must test a new delivery and payment model for rural hospitals that promotes financially sustainable access to care and must establish a corresponding transition process for CAHs.
The bill also permanently (1) increases payments for Medicare-dependent hospitals and low-volume hospitals, (2) increases payments for Medicaid primary care services in rural areas, and (3) removes the 96-hour physician certification requirement for inpatient CAH services under Medicare. It also exempts Medicare payments to rural hospitals from sequestration.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Bill text & related measures
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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