H.R. 8504: Rural Health Resilience Act of 2026

This bill, named the Rural Health Resilience Act of 2026, aims to provide financial assistance to rural health centers that are struggling to stay open or are at risk of reducing essential services. The bill proposes the following key provisions:

Establishment of a Rural Health Care Facility Stabilization Assistance Program

The bill amends an existing law, allowing the Secretary of Agriculture to offer loans and loan guarantees to rural health centers. This financial support is intended to prevent the closure of these centers and to help maintain essential health services in rural communities.

Eligibility for Loans

• A health center must be located in a rural area or primarily serve a community with a hospital where at least 60% of patients reside in a rural area.
• Additionally, at least 30% of the health center's patients must be from a rural area.
• The health center must demonstrate financial distress through various indicators, such as having an operating margin of less than 5% or low cash reserves.

Definition of Health Centers

The bill specifies what constitutes a "health center," including

• Subsection (d) hospitals,
• Critical access hospitals,
• Sole community hospitals,
• Medicare-dependent small rural hospitals,
• Low-volume hospitals,
• Rural emergency hospitals,
• Rural health clinics,
• Federally qualified health centers,
• Community mental health centers,
• Centers receiving Public Health Service grants,
• Opioid treatment programs,
• Certified community behavioral health clinics.

Prioritization of Assistance

The Secretary of Agriculture has the authority to prioritize assistance based on certain criteria, including:

• Health centers that are sole community providers,
• Providers located in areas of high poverty or designated shortages of personal health services,
• Hospitals that provide critical emergency and safety-net services.

Use of Funds

The funds from loans and guarantees can be used for various purposes, including:

• Acquiring, repairing, or upgrading facilities and equipment,
• Covering operational costs such as supplies and payroll (excluding bonuses),
• Making debt payments or refinancing high-interest debt related to patient care operations.

Reporting Requirements

Within 18 months of the bill being enacted, the Secretary is required to report to Congress on the program’s activities and its effectiveness in stabilizing the finances of the assisted health centers. A summary of the report will be made available to the public, omitting personal or financial details about individual health centers.

Relevant Companies

• HCA Healthcare (HCA) - As a major operator of hospitals, HCA may be directly impacted if this bill enables rural facilities to remain open or thrive, potentially affecting patient volume and revenue flows.
• Lantheus Holdings (LNT) - By providing diagnostic imaging products to rural health systems, Lantheus may see effects on demand if rural health centers stabilize and expand their services.