Save America’s Rural Hospitals Act

Key Points

• This bill aims to stop rural hospitals from closing by increasing the money they receive from Medicare and Medicaid. It stops automatic budget cuts for these facilities and ensures they get paid more for treating patients in areas where it is expensive to provide care.
• People living in small towns would benefit from more stable local healthcare. The plan makes permanent the higher pay for rural ambulance services and allows rural clinics to continue offering telehealth visits, which were expanded during the pandemic.
• Since 2025, over 150 rural hospitals have closed, and hundreds more are at risk. This policy addresses the fact that rural residents are often older and sicker but have to travel twice as far for emergency care compared to people in cities.
• The bill removes strict rules that currently limit how long patients can stay in small rural hospitals. It also makes it easier for states to designate struggling facilities as 'critical access hospitals,' which helps them qualify for more federal financial support.
• New grant programs would be created to help rural hospitals upgrade their technology and train staff. These funds would also help facilities transition to new models, like becoming standalone emergency rooms or adding mental health and addiction services.