The Rural MOMS Act of 2026 modifies how Medicare counts beds at critical access hospitals in rural areas. Specifically, it excludes labor and delivery beds from being counted as acute care inpatient beds when determining a hospital's Medicare reimbursement level. This change allows rural hospitals to maintain their critical access hospital status and associated Medicare funding while dedicating beds to maternity services without that space counting against their bed limits. The bill affects critical access hospitals, which are small rural facilities that receive special Medicare designation, and pregnant patients in rural areas who depend on local maternity services. The legislation makes a targeted adjustment to existing Medicare regulations with no new funding mechanism described in the text.