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Rural Hospitals – News

News stories from the past 60 days.

Nov 1, 2024 - Announcement of new policies included in the 2025 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center final rule. Describes updated health and safety requirements for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to improve and expand access to quality maternal and behavioral health care. Notes policy changes including updated payment rates, staffing standards, quality assessments, training requirements, and expanded coverage for services provided outside the "four walls" of behavioral health clinics and clinics located in rural areas.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Nov 1, 2024 - Pre-publication notice of final rule with comment period from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2025. This rule also updates the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Program, Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program, and Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program and finalizes updates to the Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) for obstetrical services. Among other things, this rule summarizes comments received in response to an information request on potential modifications to the Safety of Care measure group in the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating methodology. This rule also finalizes exceptions to the Medicaid clinic services benefit four walls requirement for Indian Health Service and Tribal clinics, and, at state option, for behavioral health clinics and clinics located in rural areas. The provisions of this rule are effective January 1, 2025. Comments are due by December 31, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 21, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allowing an additional 30 days for comments on a proposed information collection request titled "National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Coronavirus (COVID-19)." This information collection is designed to standardize the data elements collected from across the country regarding the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare facilities. Comments are due within 30 days of this notice.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 15, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Medicare Enrollment Application for Clinics/Group Practices and Other Suppliers; 2) Hospital Conditions of Participation (CoPs) and Supporting Regulations; and 3) Conditions of Participation for Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and Supporting Regulations. Comments are due by November 14, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 3, 2024 - Notice of interim final action with comment period from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revising Medicare wage index values for fiscal year (FY) 2025, establishes a transitional payment exception for low-wage hospitals significantly impacted by those revisions, and makes conforming changes to the hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) payment rates for FY 2025. These changes reflect the removal of the low wage index hospital policy following the appellate court decision in Bridgeport Hosp. v. Becerra. This rule also makes conforming changes to IPPS rates and factors used to determine certain payments under the long-term care hospital prospective payment system (LTCH PPS). This action is effective on September 30, 2024. Comments are due by November 29, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 2, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making technical and typographical corrections to the August 28, 2024, final rule. This correction is effective October 1, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 2, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making technical corrections to the August 7, 2024, final action. This correction in effective October 1, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 2, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making technical and typographical corrections to the August 6, 2024, final rule. This correction is effective October 1, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Last Updated: 11/4/2024