Bill > HR3954

This bill, named the "Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2025", aims to modify Medicare rules by allowing outpatient observation services to count towards the required 3-day inpatient hospital stay for skilled nursing facility (SNF) coverage. Currently, Medicare beneficiaries must have a continuous 3-day inpatient hospital stay to qualify for SNF services, but this bill would change that by treating outpatient observation services as equivalent to an inpatient stay. Specifically, the bill stipulates that an individual receiving outpatient observation services will be considered an inpatient during that period, with the date they stop receiving those services treated as their hospital discharge date (unless they are admitted as an inpatient). The amendment will take effect on January 1, 2026, and applies retroactively to certain cases where an administrative appeal is made within 90 days of the bill's enactment. This change is significant because it can help Medicare patients more easily access skilled nursing facility care after a hospital stay, potentially reducing out-of-pocket costs and improving continuity of care.

Budget and Finance

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3954/all-info