Save America’s Rural Hospitals Act

Stabilizing Rural Hospitals: By eliminating Medicare sequestration for specific rural hospitals and reversing cuts to bad debt reimbursement, the bill seeks to prevent further hospital closures (Section 101; Section 102).

Protecting Medicare Beneficiaries: The bill extends increased payment levels for low-volume and Medicare-s-dependent hospitals, which helps ensure continued service for those relying on these facilities (Section 103).

Improved Emergency and Specialized Care: Making increased Medicare payments for ground ambulance services permanent provides better support for rural emergency transport (Section 111).

Enhanced Access via Telehealth: Permanently extending Medicare telehealth service enhancements helps federated qualified health centers and rural health clinics provide easier access to care (Section 112).

Greater Flexibility for Hospital Designations: Restoring State authority to waive the 35-mile rule allows more hospitals to qualify as critical access providers based on community need (Section 113).

Fairer Costs for Patients: Equalizing beneficiary copayments for services furnished by critical access hospitals aims to provide more equitable costs for patients (Section 201).

Reduced Regulatory Burdens: Eliminating the 96-hour requirement for inpatient services and certain hospitalization requirements for extended care can simplify how hospitals operate (Section 301; Section 302).

Support for Health Care Innovation: The creation of flexibility and transformation grants allows rural providers to upgrade technology, train staff, and transition to new care models like rural emergency hospitals (Section 401).

Budget Neutrality Requirements: Several provisions, such as the area wage index adjustments, include mandates for "budget neutrality," which means the Secretary must ensure the total aggregate payments do not exceed previous levels (Section 106; Section 106(b)(2)).

Limitations on Hospital Designations: There are specific limits on how many facilities can be certified as critical access hospitals through certain state-authorized waivers (Section 113(a)(1)(G)(i)).