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HR6596119th CongressWALLET
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to adjust the eligibility for the rural emergency hospital designation under the Medicare program.
Sponsored By: Representative Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2]
Introduced
Summary
Expands Medicare eligibility for the rural emergency hospital designation to certain off‑campus outpatient departments that served as dedicated emergency departments in rural counties. It would change the Social Security Act definition to count those off‑campus emergency departments and apply a lookback beginning January 1, 2015.
Show full summary
- Families and rural residents: Could have more local emergency departments that qualify under Medicare’s rural emergency hospital rules, which may improve emergency access in rural counties.
- Off‑campus outpatient departments and rural hospitals: Facilities that were off‑campus outpatient departments under section 1833(t)(21)(B) and that operated as dedicated emergency departments under 42 CFR 489.24(b) in areas defined as rural under 1886(d)(2)(D) would be newly eligible for the rural emergency hospital designation.
- Medicare program and providers: Amends section 1861(kkk)(3) to widen which facilities meet the rural emergency hospital criteria and makes the change effective to include activity from January 1, 2015.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More rural emergency hospitals qualify
This bill would let some off‑campus emergency departments qualify as rural emergency hospitals under Medicare. To qualify, the department must have been an off‑campus outpatient department of a hospital and a dedicated emergency department under federal rules. The department must also have been located in a county defined as rural. The bill would allow qualification if the department met those criteria at any time starting January 1, 2015 through an end date not shown in this text. If enacted, Medicare recipients in affected rural areas could see more local emergency care where qualifying facilities are designated.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2]
KS • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Estes, Ron [R-KS-4]
KS • R
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov