US HB7145

Amends Section 1905 of the Social Security Act to create a statutory definition of "essential health system" for non-Federal governmental or private nonprofit hospitals that serve high volumes of Medicaid and low-income patients

Qualifying hospitals must meet at least one of three criteria in 2 of the last 3 fiscal years: Medicare disproportionate patient percentage of at least 35%, uncompensated care payment factor of 0.0005 or more, or ranking in the top 16th percentile for either measure within their state

Designation as an essential health system lasts 5 years and is subject to renewal, provided the hospital continues meeting baseline requirements

Requires MACPAC to submit an annual list of essential health systems to Congress by August 1st and publish index values comparing each hospital's percentile rankings at the local, state, and national levels

Adds payment policies for essential health systems to MACPAC's research agenda to ensure targeted support and access to community services these hospitals provide