To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to establish a definition of essential health system in statute and for other related purposes.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 7145 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7145 To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to establish a definition of essential health system in statute and for other related purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 16, 2026 Mrs. Trahan (for herself, Mr. Valadao, Mr. Ciscomani, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mr. Veasey, and Mr. Soto) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to establish a definition of essential health system in statute and for other related purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. ESTABLISHING A DEFINITION OF ESSENTIAL HEALTH SYSTEM IN STATUTE. (a)(1) In General.--Section 1905 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(ll) Essential Health System.--The term `essential health system' means a hospital-- ``(1)(A) that is a subsection (d) hospital (as defined in section 1886(d)(1)(B)); ``(B) that is a non-Federal governmental or private nonprofit hospital; and ``(C) that met one of the following three criteria in at least two of the three most recent fiscal years, demonstrating the hospital provides a high-volume of care to Medicaid and other low-income patients: ``(i) Medicaid and low-income medicare criteria.-- ``(I) The hospital had a Medicare disproportionate patient percentage of at least 35 percent (as defined in section 1886(d)(5)(F)(vi)). ``(ii) Uncompensated care criteria.-- ``(I) The hospital had a Medicare disproportionate share hospital uncompensated care payment factor of 0.0005 or more (as defined in section 1886(r)(2)(C)