This bill aims to streamline regulations for critical access hospitals by removing a specific Medicare requirement. It proposes to eliminate the existing 96-hour physician certification requirement for inpatient services provided by these facilities, which is currently mandated under Medicare. The legislation achieves this by amending Section 1814(a) of the Social Security Act, specifically striking the paragraph that mandates this certification. This change is intended to reduce administrative burden for critical access hospitals and will apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2026 .