Ensuring Rural Health Care Access for Military and Tribal Families Act

This bill would change Medicare rules so that states could designate certain hospitals as critical access hospitals, a status that comes with special Medicare payment rules, even if they do not meet the usual criteria. Starting October 1, 2026, a hospital would qualify if it meets at least 3 of 5 criteria. These criteria include serving TRICARE (military health coverage) patients and enrolled veterans in rural areas, not being a sole community hospital, getting a set share of revenue from TRICARE patients, or being located on a tribal reservation. Hospitals designated this way could also set up psychiatric and rehabilitation units without the usual bed limit for those units.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Dan Newhouse Republican sponsor
• 1 cosponsors