Medicare Access to Rural Anesthesiology Act
Sponsored By: Representative Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2]
In Committee
Summary
Would shift Medicare payment for anesthesiologist-delivered anesthesia in eligible rural hospitals and critical access hospitals to a reasonable cost basis. It would set volume and staffing rules and require anesthesiologists to accept the hospital payment rules instead of billing separately under Part B.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Change how hospitals report anesthesia
If enacted, the bill would instruct HHS to change Medicare cost-reporting and rules so that anesthesiologist-provided anesthesia in qualifying rural subsection (d) hospitals and qualifying Critical Access Hospitals is excluded from certain hospital operating-cost and "medical and other health services" calculations. The Secretary would revise regulations, including the definition of "physicians' services" used for section 1862(a)(14) purposes, for cost reporting periods beginning one year after enactment. The change would treat those anesthesia services as reimbursed on a reasonable cost basis and would alter how those hospitals report and recover anesthesia costs.
Medicare pays rural anesthesia costs
If enacted, this bill would shift payment for anesthesiologist-provided anesthesia in certain rural hospitals from Medicare Part B billing to Medicare Part A reasonable cost payments. To qualify, a subsection (d) hospital must be rural, have no more than one full-time equivalent anesthesiologist on staff or contract as of enactment, and have had 2026 anesthesia procedure volume at or below 800 (the Secretary may set a higher number). Critical Access Hospitals could qualify on a similar basis beginning for years starting in 2027. The change would take effect for cost reporting periods beginning one year after enactment, and hospitals would need to requalify yearly after 2027 based on the prior year's procedure volume staying at or below the threshold; each anesthesiologist must agree not to bill Medicare Part B for services at the qualifying hospital.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2]
MI • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Murphy, Gregory F. [R-NC-3]
NC • R
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]
NY • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9]
PA • R
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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