Bill > HR3778

This bill updates the fee schedule for ambulance services provided by critical access hospitals (CAHs), which are small, rural medical facilities that provide essential healthcare services in underserved areas. Specifically, the bill modifies existing law to allow a 15-mile drive (instead of the current 35-mile drive) for reimbursement calculations in mountainous terrain or areas with only secondary roads available. Additionally, the bill provides special treatment for certain hospitals that currently meet critical access hospital designations. Starting January 1, 2026, hospitals that were previously designated as critical access hospitals and can demonstrate they met the 15-mile distance requirement during their last certification will be deemed to continue meeting the distance requirement, even if a new facility is located between 10 and 15 miles away. The bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop regulations to implement these changes within one year of the bill's enactment. The purpose of these modifications appears to be ensuring continued access to emergency medical services in rural and geographically challenging areas by providing more flexible reimbursement and designation criteria for critical access hospitals.

Budget and Finance

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3778/all-info