Please contact their U.S. Representatives and Senators and ask them to support H.R. 3954 / S. 4641, the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. This bipartisan legislation would help protect Medicare beneficiaries by allowing time spent in a hospital under observation status to count toward Medicare’s three-day inpatient stay requirement for skilled nursing facility coverage.

Too often, Medicare beneficiaries receive hospital-level care but are classified as being under observation status rather than formally admitted as inpatients. As a result, they may be denied Medicare-covered skilled nursing facility care, even when post-acute rehabilitation or nursing services are medically necessary. This can delay recovery, disrupt transitions of care, and place significant financial burden on patients and families.

Why This Matters to Rehabilitation Providers

Rehabilitation providers see firsthand how access to timely post-acute care impacts recovery, function, safety, and long-term outcomes. H.R. 3954 / S. 4641 would remove an unnecessary administrative barrier and help ensure that Medicare beneficiaries can access the skilled nursing and rehabilitation services they need after a hospital stay.

NARA Member Call to Action

Please contact your Congressional members today and urge them to:

Cosponsor and support H.R. 3954 / S. 4641, the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act.