H.R. 8271 — ICU Bed Act of 2026

This section establishes real-time intensive care unit (ICU) bed availability reporting requirements as a new Medicare condition of participation for hospitals, critical access hospitals, and rural emergency hospitals, effective one year after enactment. Such hospitals must (1) participate in a shared data reporting system providing real-time ICU bed availability information to other participating hospitals in the same region established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (considering geography, population, and travel times between hospitals); and (2) maintain a shared strategy with those hospitals for efficient patient transfers upon nearing ICU capacity. This section also amends the Partnership for State and Regional Hospital Preparedness grant program—under which the Secretary awards grants to eligible entities to enhance health care system surge capacity and preparedness for public health emergencies—to expressly include funding for activities preparing for efficient patient transfers between hospitals and other facilities to prevent overcapacity during such emergencies, and extends the program through FY2031 (from FY2023).