Glenn W. Thompson
02/26/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/26/2026 13:05
Thompson, Tokuda, Alford, and Cuellar Lead Effort to Help Protect Critical Access Hospitals
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, U.S. Representatives Glenn "GT" Thompson(R-PA), Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Mark Alford (R-MO), and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) introduced the bipartisan Sustaining Rural Healthcare Act. This legislation will expand access to care and provide a financial lifeline for struggling hospitals in rural communities by creating a new "In Character" Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation.
Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) instituted an updated mapping framework, causing some rural hospitals to lose eligibility for CAH designation, despite the physical location of the facility being unchanged. This designation will create parity for the financial benefits between typical Critical Access Hospitals and those under the newly created In Character Critical Access Hospital designation.
"Rural America continues to face challenges when it comes to delivering health care services," Rep. Thompson said. "By expanding and providing increased flexibility for at-risk rural hospitals, we can help ensure our communities continue to have robust access to world-class care."
"For Hawaiʻi's neighbor islands, rural hospitals are lifelines, but outdated federal rules are keeping critical resources and designations out of reach," Rep. Tokuda said. "Current Critical Access Hospital criteria disqualify facilities serving some of our most isolated and high-need populations. This bill stabilizes rural hospitals so they can keep their doors open and continue delivering critical access care to the communities that depend on them. We're ensuring rural hospitals have the support and flexibility to provide high-quality care close to home, where patients belong."
"We aren't just talking about supporting Missouri's rural hospitals, we're taking action," Rep. Alford said. "This vital legislation will sustain our rural hospitals like Bates County Memorial, preventing closures and ensuring continued access to emergency care for communities like those in the Fourth District. After visiting almost every rural hospital in the Fourth District, I've seen first-hand how these facilities are often the only places families can turn to when they need care. We're proud to introduce the Sustaining Rural Healthcare Actand double down on our efforts to support rural health care providers."
"Border communities like ours in South Texas rely on rural hospitals to deliver care close to home," Rep. Cuellar said."In many of these areas, the nearest alternative may be miles away, and when a hospital is forced to scale back services or risks closure, families feel the impact immediately. Our bill provides rural hospitals with the stability they need to keep essential health care services accessible for our communities. It also strengthens technical assistance efforts to help these facilities improve operations and long-term financial stability. I'm proud to co-lead this bipartisan effort to support the providers who keep rural Texas strong, healthy, and cared for."
The Sustaining Rural Healthcare Actwould provide financial relief to our rural hospitals and increase access to health care for patients in rural communities by:
Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) instituted an updated mapping framework, causing some rural hospitals to lose eligibility for CAH designation, despite the physical location of the facility being unchanged. This designation will create parity for the financial benefits between typical Critical Access Hospitals and those under the newly created In Character Critical Access Hospital designation.
"Rural America continues to face challenges when it comes to delivering health care services," Rep. Thompson said. "By expanding and providing increased flexibility for at-risk rural hospitals, we can help ensure our communities continue to have robust access to world-class care."
"For Hawaiʻi's neighbor islands, rural hospitals are lifelines, but outdated federal rules are keeping critical resources and designations out of reach," Rep. Tokuda said. "Current Critical Access Hospital criteria disqualify facilities serving some of our most isolated and high-need populations. This bill stabilizes rural hospitals so they can keep their doors open and continue delivering critical access care to the communities that depend on them. We're ensuring rural hospitals have the support and flexibility to provide high-quality care close to home, where patients belong."
"We aren't just talking about supporting Missouri's rural hospitals, we're taking action," Rep. Alford said. "This vital legislation will sustain our rural hospitals like Bates County Memorial, preventing closures and ensuring continued access to emergency care for communities like those in the Fourth District. After visiting almost every rural hospital in the Fourth District, I've seen first-hand how these facilities are often the only places families can turn to when they need care. We're proud to introduce the Sustaining Rural Healthcare Actand double down on our efforts to support rural health care providers."
"Border communities like ours in South Texas rely on rural hospitals to deliver care close to home," Rep. Cuellar said."In many of these areas, the nearest alternative may be miles away, and when a hospital is forced to scale back services or risks closure, families feel the impact immediately. Our bill provides rural hospitals with the stability they need to keep essential health care services accessible for our communities. It also strengthens technical assistance efforts to help these facilities improve operations and long-term financial stability. I'm proud to co-lead this bipartisan effort to support the providers who keep rural Texas strong, healthy, and cared for."
The Sustaining Rural Healthcare Actwould provide financial relief to our rural hospitals and increase access to health care for patients in rural communities by:
Glenn W. Thompson published this content on February 26, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 26, 2026 at 19:05 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]