Bill > HR1639

This bill, the Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act of 2021, aims to restore the authority of states to waive the 35-mile rule for designating critical access hospitals (CAHs) under Medicare. It allows states to certify certain rural hospitals as "necessary providers of health care services" even if they do not meet the 35-mile distance requirement, as long as they meet other criteria related to size, location in an underserved area, and financial status. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to test a new rural hospital delivery and payment model that may include emergency care services reimbursed under the outpatient prospective payment system. Finally, it provides a process for CAHs designated under the new state certification to transition to this new payment model or revert to their previous payment model.