(Oct. 13, 2026) - Both the House and Senate are now in recess for the final phase of the 2026 midterm elections, but members of Congress are still working on individual bills and preparing for the budget endgame, which will occur during a lame-duck session later this fall.
Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03) recently introduced a series of bills to address various needs Kansas Hospital Association staff have identified and discussed extensively with the Kansas delegation. In particular, we appreciate her introducing the Healthy Communities Act, Rural Surgery Sustainability Act, the Long-Term Rural Health Investment Act, and the Maternity Care for Rural Communities Act.
Taken together, these bills would restore enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, increase the current hospital procedure reimbursement cap for certified registered nurse anesthetists, prevent reimbursement cliffs for hospitals and protect reimbursement rates for rural and Tribal hospitals to protect maternity and delivery care.
KHA appreciates Congresswoman Davids’ work on these issues. President and Chief Executive Officer Chad Austin was quoted in her press release:
“Access to local surgical procedures and maternity care is essential for rural Kansas communities, and maintaining a reliable anesthesia care team is critical to providing those services. However, the current Medicare reimbursement threshold has not been updated in more than two decades despite significant increases in the cost of recruiting and retaining these professionals. Updating this outdated policy would give rural hospitals greater flexibility to sustain these essential services and better meet the needs of their communities.”
You can find the Congresswoman's full press release here.
As Congress prepares to return to Washington after the elections, KHA will continue working with our members of Congress to advance policies that strengthen access to care and support the long-term sustainability of hospitals statewide. These proposals address several priorities KHA has consistently raised with policymakers, and we appreciate our congressional delegation's continued engagement. We will keep members updated as these proposals and other health care priorities move forward.