WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representatives Jason Smith (Mo.) and Terri Sewell (Ala.) announced that they have introduced the Long Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Access and Stability Act, bipartisan legislation that would extend pandemic-era Medicare payment policies for LTCHs for one year after the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE).
Such an extension would prevent steep and sudden Medicare payment cuts to LTCHs and allow these specialized hospitals time to transition back to pre-pandemic policies. By supporting LTCHs, the legislation would help ensure that long-term acute care services remain available for communities that need them.
Missouri is home to eight LTCHs, including Landmark Hospital of Cape Girardeau.