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Read. Follow. Verify.Rural Health Sustainability Act (S. 4201)
Last action · April 23, 2024: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.Sponsor: Cindy Hyde-Smith
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill proposes changes to the criteria used to designate facilities as 's' under Medicare. It updates the eligibility timeline and adds a new pathway for hospitals to qualify based on their designation by the Office of Rural Health Policy.
The bill changes the eligibility requirements for hospitals to receive '' status, which affects how these facilities are reimbursed under Medicare.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Rural hospitals
These facilities may gain eligibility for rural emergency hospital status under the new criteria.
Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas
Access to emergency services may change depending on how many local hospitals qualify for the rural emergency hospital designation.
Key Facts
- The bill amends Section 1861(kkk)(3) of the Social Security Act regarding rural emergency hospital designations.
- The eligibility date for rural emergency hospital status is changed from the date of enactment to January 1, 2014.
- A new eligibility pathway is added for hospitals designated as rural by the Office of Rural Health Policy of the Health Resources and Services Administration.
- The bill was introduced in the Senate on April 23, 2024.
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- The bill is currently referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a rural emergency hospital?
How does this bill change hospital eligibility?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
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Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Rural Eligibility
The bill expands the definition of rural emergency hospitals by incorporating designations from the Office of Rural Health Policy, moving beyond previous statutory definitions.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance45How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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