This bill makes changes to the Medicare program to expand and improve support for rural emergency hospitals. It broadens eligibility for hospitals to convert to rural emergency hospital status by allowing applications based on operations during a multi-year period rather than a single date, and it directs the Department of Health and Human Services to create waivers so similar facilities can also qualify for conversion. The legislation allows rural emergency hospitals to operate specialized units for psychiatric care, rehabilitation, and obstetric services, and increases Medicare payment rates for diagnostic laboratory tests performed at these hospitals by five percent starting in 2025. Additionally, the bill permits rural emergency hospitals to use swing beds for short-term patient care, allows hospitals that revert to critical access hospital status to regain certain provider designations, deems rural emergency hospitals as health professional shortage areas to attract medical professionals, and makes them eligible for small rural hospital improvement grants. The bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue implementing regulations within one year of enactment.
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