Bill > S1571

This bill, the Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act of 2023, aims to restore the authority of states to waive the 35-mile rule for designating certain facilities as critical access hospitals (CAHs) under the Medicare program. The bill establishes specific criteria for hospitals to be eligible for this designation, including being a sole community hospital, a Medicare-dependent small rural hospital, a low-volume hospital, or a small rural hospital with fewer than 50 beds. These hospitals must also meet certain financial and geographic criteria, such as being located in a rural area with a higher-than-average percentage of low-income individuals or in a health professional shortage area. The bill also places a limit on the total number of facilities that can be designated as CAHs under this new provision. Additionally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to study the implementation and impact of these changes, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide guidance and technical assistance to the newly designated CAHs.