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
Introduced
Summary
Broadens eligibility for the Medicare rural emergency hospital designation. This bill would let certain off‑campus hospital outpatient departments qualify if they were dedicated emergency departments and were located in rural counties, subject to a timing test beginning January 1, 2015.
Show full summary
- Off‑campus outpatient departments: Would be treated as eligible facilities if they were a hospital off‑campus outpatient department that functioned as a dedicated emergency department under the federal definition and sat in a rural county.
- Timing rule change: Alters the timing test so eligibility can be based on whether the site met the criteria at any point beginning January 1, 2015.
- Hospitals and rural communities: Expands the set of sites that hospital owners in rural areas can seek to designate as rural emergency hospitals, potentially increasing recognized local emergency sites.
- Budget: This change only revises eligibility language and does not create new funding, taxes, or program funding mechanisms.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More rural emergency access
This bill would let some off-campus hospital emergency departments count as rural emergency hospitals. It would apply to dedicated emergency departments located in counties defined as rural. It would also change the timing test so meeting the rule at any point beginning January 1, 2015 can count. If enacted, Medicare patients in affected rural areas may see more local emergency options.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Schmidt
KS • R
Cosponsors
Estes
KS • R
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov