Second Chances for Rural Hospitals Act

Hozzl · 2025-03-19T13:21:31Z

Explore the details of House Bill 1775 Second Chances for Rural Hospitals Act currently in Congress. Get insights into its purpose, current status, sponsors, and potential impact on Health. Stay informed on legislative developments.

3/19/2025, 1:21 PM

Summary of Bill HR 1775

Bill 119 HR 1775, also known as the Rural Emergency Hospital Act, aims to make changes to the criteria for designating rural emergency hospitals under title XVIII of the Social Security Act.

Currently, rural hospitals face unique challenges in providing emergency care to their communities. This bill seeks to address these challenges by modifying the criteria for designating rural emergency hospitals.

Specifically, the bill aims to expand the definition of a rural emergency hospital to include facilities that provide emergency care services on a 24/7 basis, have a designated emergency department, and are located in a rural area. Additionally, the bill seeks to provide flexibility for rural hospitals to meet the criteria for designation as a rural emergency hospital. This includes allowing hospitals to demonstrate their ability to provide emergency care services through alternative means, such as telemedicine or partnerships with other healthcare providers. Overall, the Rural Emergency Hospital Act aims to improve access to emergency care services in rural communities by making it easier for hospitals to qualify for designation as rural emergency hospitals.

Congressional Summary of HR 1775

Second Chances for Rural Hospitals Act

This bill allows additional hospitals to qualify as rural emergency hospitals (REHs) under Medicare.

In 2020, Congress established REHs as a new Medicare provider designation for hospitals in rural areas providing emergency department services, observation care, and other outpatient medical and health services for which the annual per patient average length of stay does not exceed 24 hours. These hospitals must have been open as of December 27, 2020, in order to qualify for the new REH designation.

The bill allows hospitals that were open between January 1, 2014, and December 26, 2020, to also qualify for the REH designation, and it provides for a specific payment structure for these hospitals. The bill's changes take effect beginning in 2027.

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Current Status of Bill HR 1775

Bill HR 1775 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since March 3, 2025. Bill HR 1775 was introduced during Congress 119 and was introduced to the House on March 3, 2025. Bill HR 1775's most recent activity was Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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. as of March 3, 2025