RURAL Rate Act
Sponsored By: Senator Dan Sullivan
Introduced
Summary
Sets a 1.67 floor on two Medicare geographic payment indices to raise or protect payments for providers in a specified state. This bill would make sure the practice expense index and the work geographic index cannot be less than 1.67 for services in the state named in the bill starting January 1, 2026.
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- Providers in the named state would receive higher or maintained Medicare payments whenever either index would otherwise fall below 1.67. This affects payments tied to the practice expense and work geographic calculations.
- The rule applies to services furnished on or after January 1, 2026 and directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to increase any index below 1.67 up to 1.67.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Higher Medicare payments for providers in State
If enacted, starting January 1, 2026, Medicare would use at least 1.67 for two geographic payment indexes in the named State. That would raise the practice expense index and the work geographic index to 1.67 if either index were lower. Doctors and clinics in that State would get higher Medicare payments. The subsection's earlier special rule would only apply from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2025.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Dan Sullivan
AK • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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