ICU Bed Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 8271 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8271 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require that hospitals report intensive care unit bed availability in real time as a condition of participation under the Medicare program. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 14, 2026 Mr. Obernolte (for himself and Mrs. Dingell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require that hospitals report intensive care unit bed availability in real time as a condition of participation under the Medicare program. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Care Utilization through Bed Exchange and Data Sharing Act of 2026'' or the ``ICU Bed Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. REQUIRING HOSPITALS TO REPORT BED AVAILABILITY IN REAL TIME AS A MEDICARE CONDITION OF PARTICIPATION. (a) In General.--Section 1866 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395cc) is amended-- (1) in subsection (a)(1)-- (A) in subparagraph (X), by striking ``and'' at the end; (B) in subparagraph (Y), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``, and''; and (C) by inserting after subparagraph (Y) the following new subparagraph: ``(Z) beginning 1 year after the date of the enactment of this subparagraph, in the case of a hospital, critical access hospital, or rural emergency hospital, to comply with the rea