Catastrophic Specialty Hospital Act of 2024

HR 9272, the Catastrophic Specialty Hospital Act of 2024, creates a new Medicare payment designation for specialized long-term care hospitals treating spinal cord injuries and acquired brain injuries. To qualify, hospitals must meet strict criteria over a 3-year period, including having at least 80% of discharges related to these conditions, offering comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care, meeting minimum discharge thresholds (175+ for each injury type), having 30% out-of-state patients, and demonstrating research or accreditation in neurorehabilitation. Qualified hospitals would receive Medicare payments under a separate system, exempt from standard long-term care hospital payment rules. This bill directly affects specialized rehabilitation hospitals meeting these criteria, not general Medicare beneficiaries.