# 119-s-5164: Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act

119-s-5164, Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5164
- As of: 2026-10-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5164
- Congress: 119
- Title: Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-07-29
- Sponsor: Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS)
- Cosponsors: 7
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-10

## Summary

**This bill would expand and strengthen rural emergency hospitals (REHs)** so more rural facilities can convert, offer a wider range of inpatient services, and access targeted federal payments and program support. It focuses on loosening eligibility rules, adding payment boosts for some lab tests, creating a swing bed option for extended care, and folding REHs into Medicaid and other rural health programs.

## Cosponsors (7)

- Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN), 2026-07-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL] (R-AL), 2026-07-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL] (R-AL), 2026-07-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV] (R-WV), 2026-07-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS] (R-MS), 2026-07-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS] (R-KS), 2026-07-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM), 2026-09-14T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Easier rural hospital conversions and units: benefit, medium. If enacted, rural emergency hospitals could include licensed inpatient psychiatric, inpatient rehabilitation, and obstetric units as distinct parts of the hospital. The bill would let a facility show it met REH eligibility at any time from January 1, 2015 through the applicable date. The Secretary…
- Higher Medicare payments and local care: benefit, medium. If enacted, rural emergency hospitals could enter agreements with HHS to provide 'swing bed' extended care like a skilled nursing facility. Medicare would pay those swing‑bed services on a reasonable‑cost basis using the statute's cost rules with specified substitutions. Also, qualifying diagnostic…
- Medicaid coverage for rural emergency hospitals: benefit, medium. If enacted, Medicaid would treat services that are licensed or approved as rural emergency hospital services as covered medical assistance. That would include services provided in a nursing facility that is a distinct part of an REH. Coverage would apply to medical assistance provided on or after e…
- More clinicians and grants for rural hospitals: benefit, medium. If enacted, HHS (through HRSA) would issue rules to treat rural emergency hospitals as shortage‑area sites for the National Health Service Corps. That would let REHs qualify for NHSC clinician placements and recruitment programs. The bill would also make REHs eligible to apply for Small Rural Hospi…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1261: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025
- 119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former United States Senator for the State of Kansas.
- 119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewellyn Kyl, former Senator for the State of Arizona.
- 119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham, a Senator from the State of South Carolina.
- 119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for the State of Michigan.
- 119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for the State of California.

## Sources
- [119-s-5164 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5164)

## Related
- [119-s-1261: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1261)
- [119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former Uni…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-913)
- [119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewel…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-897)
- [119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham,…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-801)
- [119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former S…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-755)
- [119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-739)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5164 (as of 2026-10-10).