Supporting Access to Rural Community Hospitals Act of 2025

This bill proposes to amend the Social Security Act to facilitate the designation of certain rural hospitals as Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) . It specifically waives existing distance requirements for rural community hospitals that were participating in a demonstration program established under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. This waiver applies for a limited one-year period , beginning six months after the bill's enactment. The aim is to allow these specific rural facilities to gain CAH status, which typically provides enhanced Medicare reimbursement and operational flexibility. A conforming amendment clarifies that a rural community hospital, as defined, is not considered a Critical Access Hospital unless designated under these new provisions.