# Rural Health Care Access Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary

## What This Bill Does

This bill removes distance restrictions that currently limit which rural hospitals can become "Critical Access Hospitals" (CAHs) under Medicare. Currently, federal rules require rural hospitals to be located a certain distance away from other hospitals to qualify for CAH status. This bill eliminates those mileage requirements, allowing states to designate any rural hospital as a Critical Access Hospital regardless of how close it is to other facilities.

## Who Benefits

Rural communities and hospitals would be the primary beneficiaries. Critical Access Hospital designation comes with special Medicare payment advantages and flexibility that help smaller rural hospitals stay financially viable. By removing distance restrictions, more rural hospitals—particularly those in areas that previously didn't qualify due to proximity to other facilities—could access these benefits. This could help preserve healthcare services in rural regions that struggle to maintain adequate medical facilities.

## Key Changes

The bill amends the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program by striking out the specific mileage limitations (subclauses I and II in Section 1820 of the Social Security Act). The changes take effect immediately upon the bill's enactment for any new hospital designations or redesignations going forward. Importantly, the bill includes a grandfather clause protecting any designations made before the law takes effect, so existing arrangements remain unchanged.

Rural Health Care Access Act of 2025

Rep. Green, Mark E. [R-TN-7]

Rural Health Care Access Act of 2025This bill eliminates certain criteria that hospitals must meet in order to qualify as critical access hospitals that receive special payment under Medicare.Specifically, the bill eliminates the requirement that a hospital must either (1) be located more than 35 miles (15 miles in mountainous regions or areas with only secondary roads) from another hospital, or (2) have been certified prior to January 1, 2006, by the state as a necessary provider of services in the area.