Rural Surgery Sustainability Act of 2026

This bill changes how Medicare pays certain hospitals for services from certified registered nurse anesthetists through a cost pass-through. It raises the yearly surgical procedure limit for hospitals to qualify from 500 to 1,250, and removes that limit and the anesthetist hours limit for hospitals with an active labor and delivery unit. It requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review and update these limits at least every 2 years and to raise payment limits each year based on the Medicare Economic Index. It also requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to report to Congress within 1 year on covering on-call nurse anesthetist services and on payment changes. The changes apply to services furnished on or after January 1, 2027.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Sharice Davids Democrat sponsor
• 0 cosponsors