This resolution formally recognizes a Day of Remembrance and Commitment to Maternal Health Equity to honor Kira Johnson, a mother who died from preventable complications in 2016, and commends the organization 4Kira4Moms for its work improving maternal health outcomes. The document highlights 4Kira4Moms' advocacy for federal legislation aimed at reducing racial disparities in maternal care, including efforts to fund community organizations, train healthcare workers on bias reduction, and establish hospital compliance programs for respectful maternity care. It also acknowledges the organization's support for broader policy initiatives that address social determinants of health, data collection, and paternal engagement in maternal health. The resolution serves as a commemorative statement rather than a law, expressing support for ongoing efforts to address preventable maternal deaths in the United States.
The Rural Hospital Revitalization Act of 2026 would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to provide temporary zero-percent interest loans to eligible rural hospitals for building new facilities or renovating existing ones. To qualify, hospitals must be located in counties with fewer than 20,000 people, be at least 35 miles from the nearest hospital, have been licensed for at least 30 years, and demonstrate financial stability. After five years, hospitals would be assessed to determine if they can refinance the loan at standard rates, with options for one-time renewals if they lack sufficient financial strength. The bill also allows qualifying hospitals to receive technical assistance grants to improve operations and financial stability during the loan period.
Sub-Topics
Hospitals
Tags
Agriculture
Rural Communities
This bill requires hospitals receiving Medicare funding to create discharge plans for pregnant patients who are expected to leave the hospital before delivery, ensuring they have safe transportation and access to backup care if needed. The discharge plans must include clinical justification for early discharge, assessment of travel logistics, identification of alternative delivery facilities, and confirmation that patients understand the information in their primary language. Additionally, the bill expands rural maternal health training grants to include racial bias training, establishes performance milestones for grant recipients, and creates a new initiative to evaluate different training models for healthcare professionals. The legislation also mandates the development of a public dashboard tracking maternal health outcomes and federal investments in maternal health research.
This bill, titled the Take Back Our Hospitals Act of 2026, would prohibit Medicare from paying hospitals or skilled nursing facilities owned or controlled by private equity funds, real estate investment trusts, or corporations owned by those funds. The law defines control as owning 10 percent or more of voting securities or having the power to direct management and policies through contracts or other means. Facilities currently owned by these firms would have a three-year transition period before the prohibition takes full effect. The bill also establishes joint and several liability, meaning the owning firm would be responsible for any penalties if the facility violates the rule, and provides for notice, hearings, and judicial review for affected facilities.
This bill would change how the Department of Veterans Affairs pays healthcare providers under its Community Care Program by requiring payment rates to be based on the specific location where care is delivered rather than the provider's main headquarters. It mandates that the VA establish separate payment rates for different types of care sites, including hospital outpatient departments, ambulatory surgical centers, and physician offices, starting in 2027. The legislation also requires each care site to have a unique National Provider Identifier and ensures that claims for payment include this identifier to track where services were provided. Additionally, it clarifies how off-campus outpatient departments affiliated with larger providers should be treated and billed separately.
This bill proposes to remove the 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric hospital services for Medicare beneficiaries. It directly affects older Americans and other eligible individuals who rely on Medicare for mental health care coverage. The key provision amends the Social Security Act to delete the specific restriction that currently caps how many days Medicare will pay for inpatient psychiatric hospital stays. Changes made by this legislation would take effect on January 1, 2027, allowing Medicare to cover these services without the previous daily limit.
This bill, titled the Take Back Our Hospitals Act of 2026, would prohibit Medicare from paying hospitals and skilled nursing facilities owned or controlled by private equity funds, real estate investment trusts, or corporations owned by private equity funds. The law defines ownership control as holding 10 percent or more of voting securities and includes provisions for a three-year transition period for existing facilities before the ban takes full effect. Facilities found in violation would face penalties, and the owning firms would be held jointly and severally liable for those penalties. The measure aims to restrict investment by specific financial entities in healthcare facilities that receive Medicare funding.
The Honor Our Promise to Veterans Act of 2025 improves veterans' access to care by requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to schedule non-urgent appointments within seven days and urgent appointments within 48 hours of a veteran's request. The bill establishes an MST Aware rating program for community care providers who complete specific training on military sexual trauma and women veterans' care, and mandates regular reporting on appointment wait times and provider quality. It also creates new educational programs like "Start and Stay at VA" to recruit and retain healthcare staff, along with requirements for transparent staffing data and improved capital asset management for VA facilities. The legislation includes detailed reporting requirements for VA infrastructure projects and aims to enhance the overall quality and efficiency of veterans' healthcare services.
The Veteran Suicide Prevention Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a comprehensive review of all veterans who died by suicide during the five years before the bill's enactment. The review must analyze demographics, medication history (including black box warnings and psychotropic drugs), prescribing patterns, combat trauma, and facility-specific suicide rates. The VA must submit a public report to Congress within 30 days of completing the review, detailing findings and recommendations to improve veteran safety. This applies to all veterans who received VA care during the relevant five-year period. The law aims to identify systemic patterns and inform future suicide prevention efforts.
This bill reauthorizes funding for the State Offices of Rural Health Program, which supports state-level efforts to improve healthcare access in rural areas. It authorizes $12.5 million annually for fiscal years 2023 through 2027 and increases funding to $13.5 million per year for fiscal years 2028 through 2032. The money will be distributed through grants to states that operate offices focused on rural health initiatives. This legislation directly affects state health departments and organizations working to address healthcare disparities in rural communities. The bill makes no changes to eligibility requirements or program goals, only extending and adjusting the funding levels.
