H.R. 1805 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Ways and Means, Mar 3, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryExtends support for rural hospitals through 2031
This bill keeps two Medicare payment programs running through 2031. Medicare is the federal health program for older Americans. The bill continues extra payments to small rural hospitals that serve a lot of Medicare patients, and keeps increased payments for hospitals that treat fewer patients. It also asks a government watchdog office to track how many hospitals are getting these special payment classifications.
How it affects you
If you live in a rural area, this directly affects you. The bill helps small rural hospitals stay financially stable by ensuring they keep getting extra Medicare payments, which can help them continue offering services to their communities. The official summary doesn't describe effects on other people outside rural hospital service areas.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Mar 3, 2025)
Assistance for Rural Community Hospitals Act or the ARCH Act
This bill extends through FY2031 (1) the Medicare-Dependent Hospital Program, which provides additional payments to certain small rural hospitals that have a high proportion of Medicare patients; and (2) certain increased payment adjustments for low-volume hospitals under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system.
It also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the number of hospitals that received certain classifications for purposes of payment under Medicare, including low-volume hospitals and Medicare-dependent hospitals.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 1805
A BILL
ARCH Act
Sponsor: Rep. Carol D. Miller (R-WV-1) · Introduced Mar 3, 2025 · Health · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 3, 2025: “Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.”