This bill establishes a new Rural Hospital Emergency Room Guarantee Fund to provide dedicated federal funding to keep emergency departments open at rural hospitals across the country. Under the 10-year program, eligible rural hospitals that operate 24-hour emergency departments and participate in federal health programs would receive a guaranteed base payment of $1 million annually in their first year, adjusted for inflation in subsequent years, plus an additional variable payment of up to 50 percent based on factors like patient population needs and local economic conditions. Hospitals facing imminent closure within 14 days could also receive emergency payments up to $250,000 per year. The bill restricts how hospitals can use the funding, limiting it to emergency department operating expenses and staffing while prohibiting payments to executives or transfers to other facilities. The legislation would appropriate whatever funds are necessary through 2036 and includes safeguards such as annual reporting requirements, random audits, and penalties for violations, while prohibiting private equity or venture capital firms from acquiring participating hospitals.
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