To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand the definition of critical access hospital under the Medicare program to include certain hospitals on Indian reservations.
Sponsored By: Representative Newhouse
Introduced
Summary
Expand Medicare’s critical access hospital designation to certain hospitals on Indian reservations. The bill would let States designate reservation facilities as CAHs beginning August 1, 2025, set a 35-mile drive rule with a 15-mile exception for mountainous or secondary-road areas, and allow psychiatric and rehabilitation units to operate as distinct parts without the usual CAH bed limit.
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- Tribal and Indian Health Service facilities: Could become eligible for CAH designation if they meet the reservation location and distance tests, including the 35-mile and 15-mile exceptions.
- Residents of reservations: More local hospitals could qualify as Medicare-designated CAHs, changing which facilities a community can have recognized under the CAH framework.
- Mental health and rehabilitation patients: Reservation hospitals that qualify could establish psychiatric and rehab distinct part units without being subject to the usual CAH bed-count limit.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Medicare critical access for reservation hospitals
Starting August 1, 2025, states would be able to name some hospitals on Indian reservations as Medicare critical access hospitals. The hospital would have to be on a reservation and more than a 35‑mile drive from the nearest qualifying hospital. In mountains or where only secondary roads exist, the distance would be 15 miles. The nearby hospital used for the test would need to be on a reservation or run by the Indian Health Service, a tribe or tribal group, or an urban Indian organization. Qualifying reservation hospitals could add psychiatric and rehab units without the usual bed limit for those units.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Newhouse
WA • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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