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S 502119th CongressIntroduced
Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act of 2025
Introduced: Oct 28, 2025
Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs
The Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act restores state authority to waive the 35-mile rule for critical access hospital designations and provides enhanced Medicare payment flexibilities for struggling rural hospitals.
Key Points
- 1Restores state authority to waive 35-mile distance requirement for critical access hospitals
- 2Limits waivers to 120 total facilities nationwide and 5 per state
- 3Targets sole community hospitals, medicare-dependent rural hospitals, and low-volume facilities
- 4Requires new or expanded service lines as condition for designation
- 5Mandates GAO and MEDPAC studies on implementation and payment systems
- 6Includes 9-year sunset provision with transition planning requirements
Impact Areas
Rural hospital sustainabilityMedicare payment policyCritical access hospital designationsRural healthcare accessFederal healthcare funding for rural areas
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