Rural Health Care Access Act of 2025

The Rural Health Care Access Act of 2025 seeks to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, specifically concerning the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program. Its core objective is to remove all mileage limitations that currently apply when states designate facilities located in rural areas as critical access hospitals. By striking specific provisions within the Act, this legislation would grant states the authority to designate rural hospitals as critical access hospitals without regard to their proximity to other medical facilities. This amendment, effective for designations made on or after its enactment, aims to enhance healthcare access and stability in underserved rural communities by broadening the eligibility criteria for this crucial hospital designation.