ICU Bed Act of 2026

The ICU Bed Act of 2026 mandates that hospitals, critical access hospitals, and rural emergency hospitals participating in Medicare report their intensive care unit (ICU) bed availability in real time. To achieve this, these facilities must participate in shared regional data systems and develop shared strategies for efficiently transferring patients when any hospital approaches ICU capacity. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will establish these regions based on factors like geography, population, and travel time between facilities. Additionally, the bill amends the Public Health Service Act to include efficient patient transfer activities in state and regional hospital preparedness efforts, extending funding for these activities through fiscal year 2031.