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H.R. 5481 · 116th Congress

Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act of 2019

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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 116th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

This bill allows additional hospitals to qualify as critical access hospitals (CAHs) that receive special payment under Medicare.

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Dec 18, 2019

Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act of 2019

This bill allows additional hospitals to qualify as critical access hospitals (CAHs) that receive special payment under Medicare.

Currently, in order to qualify as a CAH under Medicare, a hospital must either (1) be located more than 35 miles (or 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.

The bill allows a hospital to also qualify if the hospital 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.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act of 2019

Latest action (Dec 18, 2019): Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Policy area: Health · Origin: House · Introduced: Dec 18, 2019

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.