Rural Health Care Access Act of 2025
Rural Health Care Access Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Rural Health Care Access Act of 2025 Summary **What the Bill Does** The Rural Health Care Access Act would change Medicare rules for "critical access hospitals"—a special designation that allows smaller rural hospitals to receive higher Medicare payments. Currently, to qualify, hospitals must be located more than 35 miles away from another hospital (or 15 miles in mountainous areas), or have been officially certified as necessary providers before 2006. This bill would eliminate those distance and certification requirements, allowing more hospitals to qualify for critical access status. **Who It Affects** The bill primarily affects rural hospitals that don't currently meet the distance or certification requirements, as well as rural communities that rely on these hospitals. Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas could be impacted if more hospitals gain access to higher reimbursement rates.
Taxpayers would also be affected, as increased Medicare payments could increase program costs. **Current Status** HR 771 was introduced by Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it hasn't advanced to a floor vote yet. The bill hasn't passed either chamber.
CRS Official Summary
Rural Health Care Access Act of 2025This 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.
Latest Action
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.