Two Medicare programs that boost payments to hundreds of rural hospitals have been extended through mid-December with the House passing a short-term federal spending package on Friday.
In a mostly partisan vote 230-201 in the House of Commons, Congress prevented a government shutdown on the last day of the fiscal year. The Senate passed the allocation package on Thursday.
House members and senators will return to their counties and states to campaign for midterm congressional elections, which take place on Nov. 8. Congress plans a duck session to deal with any unfinished business from this session after the election.
If Congress does not act by Saturday, the Medicare Dependent Hospital program will expire and the Low Scale Hospital program will lose the expanded eligibility criteria Congress authorized in 2018, which allowed More hospitals are involved.
Bipartisan bills were introduced to permanently expand the programs, including legislation sponsored by Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Representative Sam Graves (R-Mo.)
Groups such as the American Hospital Association and the Federation of American Hospitals have voiced support for these measures, as well as funding short-term expenses, as rural hospitals are facing challenges. severe financial challenges from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Approximately 180 hospitals, or 6% of prospective inpatient payment system facilities, are eligible for the Medicare Dependent hospital program, which requires at least 60% of the organization’s patients to be covered by Medicare.
The Few Patient Hospitals program previously applied to facilities more than 25 miles from the nearest hospital where fewer than 200 patients per year. Congress expanded eligibility in 2018 to include hospitals that discharge less than 3,800 patients per year and are located more than 15 miles from the nearest hospital.
