Amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act regarding Medicare rural hospital flexibility program grants.
Modifies support for critical access hospitals, certified rural health clinics, and rural emergency hospitals.
Introduces provisions for quality improvement, performance improvements, and addressing behavioral health and substance use disorders.
Allows critical access hospitals to convert to rural emergency hospitals to stabilize emergency services.
Authorizes grants or cooperative agreements to support activities related to the flexibility program.
Changes the application process for State Offices of Rural Health to receive grants.
Establishes a formula for grant amounts based on the number of eligible small rural hospitals proposed for assistance.
Permits State Offices of Rural Health to use grant funds for purchasing software, staff training, and other delivery system reforms.
Introduces rural health transformation grants for transitioning to new healthcare models.
Requires local support and detailed sustainability plans for grant applications from eligible rural health care providers.
Defines eligible rural health care providers to include various types of healthcare entities, including critical access hospitals and rural health clinics.