Save America’s Rural Hospitals Act

The Save America's Rural Hospitals Act aims to prevent rural hospital closures by making significant changes to Medicare and Medicaid payment structures. Key provisions include eliminating Medicare sequestration for rural hospitals, reversing cuts to bad debt reimbursement for critical access hospitals, and extending permanent payment levels for low-volume and Medicare-dependent hospitals. The bill also makes permanent telehealth enhancements for rural health clinics, restores state authority to waive the 35-mile rule for critical access hospital designations, and creates grants for rural hospital flexibility programs. These changes directly affect approximately 453 rural hospitals at risk of closure and millions of rural Medicare beneficiaries who face significant barriers to accessing healthcare.