U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra is working on legislation he says will enable small rural hospitals to provide childbirth services while still keeping a form of extra Medicare support.

The bill introduced by the Republican from Hull is intended to support those hospitals designated as critical access hospitals under Medicare, the federal health insurance program for seniors.

With a critical access hospital designation, facilities get reimbursed by Medicare for the allowable cost of a treatment plus an additional percentage.

Several area hospitals have the designation. They are Humboldt County Memorial Hospital, Iowa Specialty Hospital in Clarion, Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona, Loring Hospital in Sac City, Pocahontas Community Hospital, Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City, and Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City.

Hospitals with that designation are limited to 25 beds, according to Feenstra.

Under his bill, any beds used exclusively for childbirth would not count against that 25-bed limit. If it became law, critical access hospitals could have a couple beds reserved for obstetrics plus 25 other beds and still receive the Medicare support. The bill is called the Rural Maternity Options for Medical Support Act.

“Expecting mothers deserve access to high quality maternal health care wherever they live,” Feenstra said in a written statement. “Representing one of the most rural districts in the country, I regularly hear from Iowa mothers who drive sometimes over an hour just to access maternal care.”

The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Darin Lahood, R-Illinois, Kim Schrier, D-Washington; and Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii.

The bill awaits action by committees in the House of Representatives.