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This bill waives distance requirements that normally apply to hospitals seeking to become critical access hospitals, a special Medicare designation for rural facilities. Specifically, it allows rural community hospitals that were participating in an existing federal demonstration program to become critical access hospitals during a one-year window without meeting the usual distance requirements from other hospitals. Critical access hospitals receive higher Medicare reimbursement rates to help them remain financially viable in underserved areas, so this change makes it easier for certain struggling rural hospitals to access those enhanced payments. The bill affects rural hospitals participating in the demonstration program and makes a conforming change to clarify the definition of critical access hospitals under Medicare law. No specific funding amounts or additional appropriations are mentioned in the legislation.

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