Ensuring Rural Health Care Access for Military and Tribal Families Act
Sponsored By: Representative Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4]
Introduced
Summary
Expands Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation for rural hospitals that serve members of the armed forces, their families, and veterans. The bill would create an alternative pathway so States could designate facilities as CAHs when those facilities meet at least three of five specified criteria, with the pathway taking effect October 1, 2026.
Show full summary
- Military families and veterans: Facilities that deliver care to TRICARE beneficiaries and veterans could qualify as Medicare CAHs, improving local access to care for these populations in rural counties.
- Rural hospitals and States: A hospital could earn CAH status if it meets at least 3 of 5 criteria, including revenue tests tied to TRICARE (for example 8 percent of total revenue or 15 percent of labor and delivery revenue) and other location or service conditions.
- Tribal communities: Hospitals located on a reservation may meet the new pathway and gain CAH designation, recognizing unique rural tribal needs.
- Behavioral health and rehab services: Eligible facilities could add distinct psychiatric or rehabilitation units without usual bed-count limits and those units would not be counted against CAH service tests.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More rural hospital help for military families
If enacted, this bill would create a new way for States to designate rural hospitals as critical access hospitals beginning October 1, 2026. A hospital would qualify if, at designation, it meets at least 3 of 5 tests, including serving TRICARE beneficiaries and enrolled veterans in rural areas, not being a sole community hospital, having at least 8% of total revenue from TRICARE services, or having at least 15% of labor and delivery revenue from TRICARE. The designation must be made by the State. Hospitals designated this way would be allowed to add distinct psychiatric or rehab units without the usual bed limits, and the Secretary would not count those units when judging whether the hospital is primarily engaged in certain services.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4]
WA • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Larsen, Rick [D-WA-2]
WA • D
Sponsored 5/21/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov