AHA Nov. 27 applauded the Assistance for Rural Community Hospitals Act (H.R. 6430), legislation that would extend for five additional years the Medicare-dependent Hospital program and enhanced low-volume Medicare adjustment. Congress established the MDH program in 1987 to help support small rural hospitals for which Medicare patients make up a significant percentage of inpatient days or discharges, and the LVA program in 2005 to help isolated, rural hospitals with a low number of discharges. 

“Your legislation will help keep the doors open at rural hospitals and allow them to continue serving their local communities during this time of sustained financial pressure and historic changes in care delivery,” AHA said in a letter to Reps. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., and Terri Sewell, D-Ala., who recently introduced the bill.

Related News Articles

Headline
The Senate Appropriations Committee July 31 advanced the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,…
Chairperson's File
Public
The recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act will bring big changes to health care. AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack joined me for a Leadership Dialogue…
Headline
The House Ways and Means Subcommittees on Health and Oversight held a joint hearing today to discuss lessons learned, challenges and opportunities to improve…
Headline
The AHA today expressed support for the Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Equity Act, a bill that would eliminate the 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient…
Headline
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., July 15 introduced legislation that would repeal some of the Medicaid funding reductions included in the recently enacted One Big…
Chairperson's File
Public
This month Congress enacted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — a sweeping package that contained many of President Trump’s legislative priorities on taxes,…