Rural MOMS Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Jack Bergman and 12 co-sponsors

Excludes beds used solely for labor and delivery from counting toward acute care inpatient beds for Medicare payments to critical access hospitals.

Introduced in House

Summary of HR 8891 — Rural MOMS Act of 2026

Purpose and intent

HR 8891, titled the Rural Maternity Options for Medical Support Act of 2026 (Rural MOMS Act), aims to modify how certain hospital beds are counted for purposes of Medicare payment to critical access hospitals (CAHs).

Specifically, it seeks to exclude beds used solely for labor and delivery from counting toward the number of acute care inpatient beds that CAHs can report under Medicare.

Key provisions

Amends Section 1820(c)(2)(B)(iii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i–4(c)(2)(B)(iii)).

In the definitional and counting framework for acute care inpatient beds at critical access hospitals, the bill adds language clarifying that beds used solely for labor and delivery are not to be counted as acute care beds.

The stated short title provisions designate the measure as the Rural MOMS Act of 2026, signaling its focus on maternity care options in rural settings.

Who or what would be affected

Critical access hospitals that operate labor and delivery units.

Medicare’s payment and and inpatient bed-counting methodology for CAHs would be adjusted to exclude labor and delivery beds from the tally of acute care inpatient beds.

Rural communities relying on CAHs for maternity services could experience changes in eligibility, payment calculations, or reported bed counts under Medicare, depending on how the bed-count adjustments interact with CAH designation and reimbursement rules.

Significant procedural and timeline aspects

Introduced in the 119th Congress on May 19, 2026.

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means for consideration.

The bill currently appears to be at an early stage in the legislative process, with no floor action or companion Senate text provided in the summary.

Co-sponsors include Representatives from both parties, indicating cross-cutting interest around rural maternity care support.

Potential impact and considerations

By excluding labor and delivery beds from acute care bed counts, CAHs may experience changes in how they qualify for CAH-related Medicare payments, which could affect rural hospital finances and staffing decisions.

The change is targeted and narrow in scope, focusing specifically on the treatment of maternity beds within the Medicare CAH framework.

Stakeholders (rural hospitals, maternity care providers, policymakers) may examine how this bed-count adjustment interacts with overall CAH payment formulas, capacity requirements, and access to maternity services in rural areas.

If you’d like, I can add a brief section comparing this bill to existing CAH bed-counting rules or provide a simple map of the legislative path forward.