# 119-hr-538: Critical Access Hospital Relief Act of 2025

119-hr-538, Critical Access Hospital Relief Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Smith, Adrian [R-NE-3] (R-NE); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-538
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-538
- Congress: 119
- Title: Critical Access Hospital Relief Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-16
- Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Adrian [R-NE-3] (R-NE)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Eliminates the 96-hour physician certification for inpatient Critical Access Hospital (CAH) services under Medicare.** It limits the change to inpatient CAH services and takes effect for items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2026. - Critical Access Hospitals: Would no longer be subject to the 96-hour physician certification requirement for inpatient services under section 1814(a) of the Social Security Act. - Physicians and clinicians: Would not need to provide the 96-hour inpatient certification for patients in CAHs for services furnished on or after Jan 1, 2026. - Medicare beneficiaries: Inpatient CAH services furnished on or after Jan 1, 2026 would no longer be tied to that specific physician certification rule. - Federal program rules: The bill adds no new programs, funding, or benefit structures and leaves care provided before 2026 governed by existing law.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7] (D-AL), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1] (R-MI), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Medicare: 96-hour rule would end at Critical Access Hospitals: benefit, low. This bill would remove Medicare’s 96-hour physician certification for inpatient stays at Critical Access Hospitals. It would apply to care given on or after January 1, 2026. If enacted, you and your doctor would face fewer paperwork steps for these rural hospital stays. It would not change rules fo…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-6766: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025
- 119-hr-6500: Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-5343: Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-538 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/538)

## Related
- [119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9237)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-6766: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6766)
- [119-hr-6500: Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6500)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-5343: Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5343)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-538 (as of 2026-04-21).