Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2025
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to count a period of receipt of outpatient observation services in a hospital toward satisfying the 3-day inpatient hospital stay requirement for coverage of skilled nursing facility services under Medicare, and for other purposes.
This bill, HB3954, proposes to change how Medicare works for patients who need skilled nursing care after a hospital stay. Currently, to qualify for Medicare coverage of skilled nursing care, a person must spend at least three nights as an inpatient in the hospital. This bill suggests that time spent in outpatient observation services at a hospital should count toward that three-night requirement. This would make it easier for some patients to qualify for the skilled nursing care they need after a hospital stay.
The change would affect people who are covered by Medicare and their families. By making it easier to qualify for skilled nursing care, this bill aims to help people get the right level of care after being in the hospital, potentially improving their recovery and reducing healthcare costs.
The bill was introduced on June 12, 2025, and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Energy and Commerce for further consideration. This is the first step in the legislative process, and the bill will now be reviewed by these committees before moving forward.
