The Rural Emergency Hospital Adjustment Act, also known as Bill 118 hr 7599, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress. This bill aims to address the unique challenges faced by rural hospitals that provide emergency care to patients in underserved areas.
The main goal of the Rural Emergency Hospital Adjustment Act is to provide financial support to rural hospitals that operate as emergency hospitals. These hospitals often face financial strain due to lower patient volumes and higher costs of providing emergency care in rural areas.
The bill proposes to adjust the Medicare reimbursement rates for rural emergency hospitals to better reflect the costs of providing emergency care in these settings. This adjustment would help ensure that rural hospitals can continue to provide critical emergency services to their communities without facing financial hardship.
Additionally, the bill includes provisions to improve access to telehealth services for patients in rural areas, as well as funding for training programs to support healthcare providers in rural emergency hospitals.
Overall, the Rural Emergency Hospital Adjustment Act aims to support and strengthen rural hospitals that play a vital role in providing emergency care to underserved communities. By addressing the financial challenges faced by these hospitals, the bill seeks to ensure that all patients, regardless of their location, have access to quality emergency care when they need it most.