Mark Alford will support the Sustaining Rural Healthcare Act to expand Critical Access Hospital benefits for eligible rural hospitals through a new In Character Critical Access Hospital designation.

We’re proud to introduce the Sustaining Rural Healthcare Act and double down on our efforts to support rural health care providers.

Alford introduced legislation that would create an In Character Critical Access Hospital designation, extend related financial benefits to eligible rural hospitals, and support rural health care providers.

Alford, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Expand Critical Access Hospital Benefits for Rural Facilities | Congressman Mark Alford
primary · press_release · model gpt-5.5

Sponsor: Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6] (Introduced 02/06/2023). Latest Action: House - 12/17/2024 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. This bill has the status Introduced. The CRS summary says the bill allows additional small rural hospitals to qualify as critical access hospitals and receive special Medicare payment.

The closest official bill matching the promise’s substance was introduced in Alford’s first term but did not advance beyond introduced/subcommittee status and did not become law.

never same_term

H.R.833 - Save America’s Rural Hospitals Act, 118th Congress
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 88%

Congress.gov lists H.R.833 with Cosponsors (5). Review of the cosponsors page did not show Mark Alford as a bill cosponsor; appearances of Alford on the page were in the generic member search/filter menu.

Alford does not appear to have cosponsored the matching rural-hospital/critical-access bill in the 118th Congress.

never same_term

Cosponsors - H.R.833 - Save America’s Rural Hospitals Act
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 79%

Representative Mark Alford: In Congress 2023 - Present; Party Republican; House Missouri, District 4 118th-119th. Congress.gov member activity lists sponsored legislation, cosponsored legislation, and Health subject activity, but no exact match for a Sustaining Rural Healthcare Act was found in reviewed official member activity.

The official member profile establishes the relevant federal term and does not show a clear sponsored or cosponsored action fulfilling the promised bill.

never same_term

Representative Mark Alford | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 72%

CMS states CAHs are a separate provider type with their own Medicare Conditions of Participation and payment method. A Medicare-participating hospital must meet criteria including rural location, distance requirements, no more than 25 inpatient beds, average length of stay of 96 hours or less, and 24-hour emergency services.

CMS’s current CAH criteria reflect existing law and do not show implementation of a new expanded designation like the promised proposal.

never unknown

Critical Access Hospitals | CMS
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 70%